Strategic agreement positions Liberia as an emerging manufacturing hub for transformers, conductors, switchgear, and smart meters, following bilateral discussions between the Presidents of Liberia and Kenya.
The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) and Thames Electricals Limited, an international electrical engineering and manufacturing company based in Kenya, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish Liberia’s first major manufacturing and refurbishment facility for electrical infrastructure products.
The agreement, signed in Nairobi on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Liberia, Mr. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, is expected to mobilize funds for a multi-million-dollar private-sector investment.
The project is also expected to create hundreds of skilled Liberian jobs while reducing the country’s dependence on imported electrical equipment.
Mr. Mohammed M. Sherif, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Electricity Corporation, signed on behalf of LEC, while Mr. Nilesh Jasani, Chief Executive Officer of Thames Electricals Limited, signed on behalf of his company.
The MoU followed a bilateral meeting between His Excellency President Boakai and His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, during which the two Heads of State discussed the broader strategic partnership between Liberia and Kenya across multiple sectors, including the manufacturing of electrical materials and infrastructure.
The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
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The facility, to be developed by a dedicated Liberian special-purpose vehicle, will manufacture and refurbish electrical infrastructure products that support national grid expansion, including distribution transformers, overhead and underground conductors, switchgear, smart meters, and related ancillary equipment.
Indicative annual production volumes are expected to grow from US$4 million–US$6 million in Year 1 of operations to US$16 million–US$25 million by Year 5, positioning Liberia as a competitive source not only for domestic consumption but also for the wider ECOWAS, Mano River Union, and AfCFTA markets.
The project is directly aligned with Liberia’s ARREST Agenda under the leadership of President Boakai, the National Energy Compact under the World Bank–African Development Bank Mission 300 initiative, and the Liberia Electricity Corporation’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030.
The plan targets the expansion of generation capacity to 200 MW, growth of the customer base to more than 600,000 connections, and reduction of system losses to below 15 per cent by 2030.
Commenting on the agreement, President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., said:
“This agreement is more than a commercial transaction. It is a statement of confidence in Liberia’s future, a vote for Liberian workers and engineers, and a step forward in our drive to industrialize our economy and modernize our energy sector. We thank our brother nation Kenya and Thames Electricals for choosing Liberia as a partner in building African industrial capability.”
Mr. Mohammed M. Sherif, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Electricity Corporation, said: “For too long, Liberia has imported the very equipment that builds and maintains its national grid. With this partnership, that begins to change. We will manufacture our own transformers, conductors, and smart meters here in Liberia, by Liberians, for Liberia and for our region. This project supports every pillar of LEC’s Strategic Plan — lower losses, more connections, stronger collections, and a power sector that serves national development. We are deeply grateful to His Excellency the President for his leadership in making it possible.”
Mr. Nilesh Jasani, Chief Executive Officer of Thames Electricals Limited, added: “Thames Electricals is honoured to partner with the Liberia Electricity Corporation and the Government of Liberia on a project of this strategic significance. We see in Liberia a market of real opportunity, leadership of real ambition, and a partner of real capability. Our commitment is not only to invest capital, but also to transfer technology, build skills, and develop local supply chains — so that what we build together stands the test of time.”
Construction of the facility is expected to commence within months, with commercial operations targeted to begin by early 2027
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