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ADNews-Monrovia, Liberia: The pro-democracy and rights advocacy group, Movement for the Promotion of Non-violent Elections in Liberia (MOPNEL), has extolled the Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA) Sekou A. M. Dukuly and his team for the level of developmental initiatives undertaken at the Gateway to the Liberian economy, the Freeport of Monrovia, to increase revenue generation.
By Contributing Writer
In a statement issued by MOPNEL through its Secretary General, Victor Diamond Walker, with the board’s approval, on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, in Monrovia, states that since MD Dukuly’s ascendancy at the head of the Port, he has gradually fulfilled his transformative agenda that he unveiled to Liberians upon his takeover of the Freeport of Monrovia in early 2024.
MOPNEL highlights key developments undertaken by MD Dukuly and team, which it says are geared towards increasing revenue generation at the Freeport of Monrovia, including the restoration of lighting infrastructure, which marks a milestone at the facility.
The group says that after a prolonged period of darkness, the National Port Authority, MD Dukuly, has successfully reinstated the lighting infrastructure at the Freeport of Monrovia, marking a significant milestone for the port. “The restoration of lights comes after years of operating in suboptimal conditions due to the absence of adequate lighting, which has posed various challenges, including security and safety concerns.”
MOPNEL notes this achievement is a direct result of the steadfast commitment to a comprehensive reform policy implemented by the current management of the Port. The group acknowledges the NPA’s primary objective of this initiative, which is to revitalize and modernize the port, thereby enhancing its capacity to deliver superior services to its valuable customers.
MOPNEL extols the NPA for the recent restoration of lights, which, according to the Port management, is just one of the many forthcoming developments aimed at overhauling the operations of the Freeport of Monrovia and aligning them with the targeted reform goals and objectives of the port.
Also, MOPNEL recognizes the NPA management’s policy to build the capacity for Port Security Personnel, intended to enhance the duties and responsibilities of security within the port facility.
The pro-democracy and rights advocacy group notes that the capacity-building training given to security personnel at the Port will ensure the importance of stringent access control procedures at the port. MOPNEL stresses that training is a necessity in improving personnel capacity for effective port operations.
In a related development, MOPNEL has hailed the NPA management headed by MD Dukuly for joining forces with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to recently engage APM Terminals Vice President and Regional Managing Director for Africa and Europe, Igor van den Essen, which centered on discussions to strengthen long-term partnerships and explore investments in port infrastructure to support the Liberian economy.
During the meeting, Mr. van den Essen highlighted APM Terminals’ commitment to fostering ‘local talents’ through workforce development. He underlines the importance of training, upskilling, and empowering the local workforce. A notable emphasis was the training of Liberia’s first Marine Pilot, Sam Jabbah, to handle vessels at the Freeport of Monrovia.
MOPNEL notes this is a welcome development as the discussions also centered on plans to increase investments to boost the port’s capacity and establish it as the ‘logistics hub’ for the Mano River Basin. This plan would align with the ARREST Agenda of the Government of Liberia and other future development strategies to ensure a coordinated approach to national growth.
The pro-democracy and rights advocacy group acknowledges MD Dukuly for his outstanding leadership and collaborative approach to managing the National Port Authority, stressing his cooperative commitment to fostering a strong partnership between the NPA and APM Terminals.
MOPNEL also commended President Boakai, who highlighted the ongoing investments and improvements made by APM Terminals at the port since the beginning of the concession in 2011. However, President Boakai emphasized the importance of ensuring that the concession agreement aligns with the interests of the Liberian people. He also weighed on the need for accountability and integrity in the concession and laid plain the Government’s commitment to reviewing the agreement clauses to address any discrepancies. This is highly commendable, MOPNEL says.
Concluding its statement, MOPNEL praise the NPA management, headed by MD Dukuly farsighted for their plan to construct a US$3 million terminal at the Freeport of Monrovia, which construction is scheduled to begin early January 2026, aiming to enhance revenue generation.
The group recognizes MD Dukuly’s emphasis that the construction of the terminal will not only foster economic growth but also facilitate regional trade by providing a more efficient logistics framework and enhancing revenue generation. It is part of a broader effort to modernize Liberia’s primary seaport, thereby enhancing its capacity to handle increasing cargo volumes.
MOPNEL notes with excitement that the anticipation surrounding the project underscores a significant commitment from the Liberian government to build a robust economic framework that not only supports local businesses but also attracts foreign investment. The group then hails the NPA management for taking the Gateway of the Liberian economy to another level, to the benefit of Liberians and the country at large.
MOPNEL, is a pro-democracy and rights advocacy group that has spoken against ills in the Liberian society as well as highlighted positive developments undertaken by the government over the years to the betterment of Liberians.
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