(Washington, D. C., United States of America – Wednesday, February 25, 2015) President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has begun her official visit of the United States stressing the need for direct U.S. private investments in Liberia especially the post-Ebola era.

According to a Dispatch from Washington, D.C., the Liberian leader, meeting with officials of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) - an independent U.S. Government Agency that helps U.S. investments get a foothold in emerging markets like Liberia - said private investments were needed to buttress Liberia’s economic recovery efforts giving the challenges associated with the post-Ebola Liberia.

“We would like to have more U.S. private investments in Liberia,” she said, adding, “It will help our job creation strategy while improving our economy and bettering the lives of our people.”

The Liberia leader told the OPIC high-level delegation that there was a need to attract investments in keys sectors such as agriculture, with emphasis on the fishing industry and upgrading support to small scale farmers from the level of subsistence farming.

She said investments in transportation were also a key area of concentration with a focus on privatizing the Roberts International Airport and domestic airports in Liberia.

For the energy sector, President Sirleaf said private partnership investments would help Liberia make the much needed advancements to support other investments in health, education and security. “Energy has an interconnectivity to all these and we believe major investments in this sector would also enable us to improve these vital areas of our development,” she stressed.
Responding, the OPIC President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elizabeth Littlefield first praised what she termed as the “extraordinary leadership role” of President Sirleaf in Liberia’s fight to eradicate the Ebola virus disease from the country. “I recognize the resilience of you and the Liberian people in battling the Ebola epidemic. It’s extraordinary,” Madam Littlefield indicated.

The U.S. OPIC CEO pledged to work with the Liberian Government in attracting U.S. private investment saying, “We will work with our friends and private companies to look at Liberia favorably.”

Earlier in the day, President Sirleaf met with ExonMobil exploration officials headed by Mr. Walter Kansteiner. The meeting was aimed at persuading the company to do more in its investment in Liberia.

Present at the meetings were Liberia’s Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency Mr. Jeremiah Solunteh; Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr. Amara Konneh; Information Minister, Mr. Lewis Browne, Legal Advisor to the President, Counsellor Seward Cooper; among others.