Liberia Eyes Regional Ferry to Unlock Maritime Trade Potential

Liberia’s maritime dominance has long been measured in tonnage. As home to the world’s largest ship registry by gross tonnage, the country commands influence at the International Maritime Organization and plays an outsized role in global shipping regulation. But for Commissioner/CEO Cllr. Neto Z. Lighe of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), the next frontier is closer to home: turning maritime strength into faster trade flows, stronger small businesses, and a more competitive coastal economy.

“The maritime sector alone constitutes 80% of goods around the world,” Lighe said in an interview with the Daily Observer. His point aligns with data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which reports that more than 80% of global trade by volume is transported by sea. “So it tells you the need for manpower,” he added. But beyond manpower, it also underscores the leverage of countries that can move goods efficiently.

The Container Problem

For the Liberian business community, one of the quiet but costly challenges is shipping delay. Unlike major hub ports in the sub-region, Liberia often receives only a small share of cargo from large vessels that first dock in countries such as Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire.

“Maybe only 10 containers come into Liberia. That vessel is not going to come to Liberia. They will wait until the vessels are like 100 before they come,” Lighe explained. “The wait time is going to be three weeks, one month, and that person is waiting for their goods.”

For small and medium-sized Liberian importers, that lag translates into higher storage costs, tied-up capital, delayed sales, and rising consumer prices. According to the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, many West African economies face structural inefficiencies in port turnaround time and cargo handling, challenges that disproportionately affect smaller markets dependent on transshipment through regional hubs.

LiMA’s response is bold: a proposed Gulf of Guinea ferry system designed to move both goods and passengers between coastal states on a predictable schedule.

“We want to get a ferry that we can put out there. We’re going to purchase it. We’re going to put it out there. And Liberians can bid for it,” Lighe said. “It’s basically going to be meant to move people and goods along the region.”

Under the concept, containers arriving in major ports like Lagos or Accra could be transferred within days to Monrovia, instead of waiting weeks for sufficient volume to justify a direct call by a large vessel. “Our whole idea is not necessarily profit making,” he emphasized, “but to provide service especially for local businesses — small businesses.”

Linking to AfCFTA

The proposed ferry service would also complement the African Continental Free Trade Area framework championed by the African Union. Intra-African trade currently accounts for roughly 15–18% of Africa’s total trade, far below Europe’s internal trade levels. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimates that AfCFTA could significantly increase intra-African trade if logistics bottlenecks are addressed.

When asked whether the ferry concept feeds into AfCFTA ambitions, Lighe’s answer was direct: “Definitely.”

In effect, LiMA is positioning maritime infrastructure as a missing piece in Liberia’s regional trade competitiveness. Without reliable short-sea shipping links, AfCFTA risks remaining policy on paper rather than commerce in motion.

Cabotage and Local Vessel Ownership

Beyond regional connectivity, LiMA is also examining how to strengthen domestic cabotage — the transport of goods along Liberia’s own coastline. While a few Liberian-owned vessels currently move goods between Monrovia and southeastern ports, Lighe believes the country can go further.

“There are a lot of different programs, especially for transporting goods — what we call cabotage,” he said. “The challenge there is sometimes the initial investment. And I think in the sector we try to encourage investors to partner with Liberians.”

The vision is not only about shipping lines, but about multiplying downstream activity. “Bulk of what you see at the ports are run by Liberians — especially stevedoring activities — exclusively for Liberians,” Lighe noted. Brokerage services, trucking, and other port-linked services are already dominated by local operators. “The more vessels come into the country, the more goods come into the country, the more money Liberians make.”

The logic is straightforward: improved maritime efficiency attracts more traffic; more traffic generates more port services; more services expand employment and income.

Revenue and Fiscal Contribution

LiMA’s economic role is not theoretical. According to Lighe, the Authority has significantly increased its fiscal contribution to government in recent years.

“When we took over, I think we came from seven or nine million to US$14 million,” he said. “Maritime is the highest contributing agency to the consolidated.”

Stronger billing enforcement, stricter timelines for payment by service providers, and renewed participation in international maritime organizations have contributed to revenue growth. As one of the largest flag states globally, Liberia pays substantial dues to the International Maritime Organization — a reflection of its registry size and influence.

Yet Lighe argues that international stature must be matched by domestic competitiveness. “You can’t be on the international scene, the biggest maritime nation, and then domestically, much has not been done,” he said.

Balancing Global and Local

Liberia’s registry gives it a powerful voice in global debates, including climate regulation and emissions frameworks. But at home, challenges such as limited inland waterway navigation, river pollution, and underdeveloped coastal infrastructure complicate expansion.

Even so, LiMA sees opportunity. The Du River, for example, is navigable but requires environmental restoration. Regional short-sea shipping models in countries like Senegal and Sierra Leone demonstrate that water transport can account for a significant share of domestic movement when infrastructure and policy align.

In that context, LiMA’s ferry proposal is not merely about transportation; it is about positioning Liberia within a networked coastal economy stretching from Lagos to Dakar.

A Maritime Pivot

If successful, the shift would mark a strategic pivot: from viewing maritime primarily as a registry business to embracing it as a development engine.

Globally, Liberia is already a shipping heavyweight. The next question, as Lighe frames it, is whether that influence can translate into faster trade, stronger local enterprise, and deeper regional integration.

In one sentence, he describes the future simply: “It’s promising.”

The promise, however, will depend not just on global tonnage figures, but on whether containers move faster, ferries sail reliably, and Liberian businesses feel the difference on the ground.