Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has entered into a US$6 million partnership with Kenya based Thames Electricals Limited to establish Liberia’s first large scale electrical equipment manufacturing and refurbishment plant.
The agreement, signed in Nairobi on May 12, 2026, is expected to attract major private sector investment, create hundreds of skilled jobs for Liberians, and reduce reliance on imported electrical infrastructure products.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Mr. Mohammed M. Sherif, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LEC, and Mr. Nilesh Jasani, Chief Executive Officer of Thames Electricals Limited, in the presence of Liberian President H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.
The deal followed bilateral discussions between President Boakai and Kenyan President H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto on expanding cooperation between Liberia and Kenya in areas including energy infrastructure and industrial manufacturing.
Signed on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, the agreement positions Liberia to emerge as a regional manufacturing hub for electrical products such as transformers, conductors, switchgear, smart meters, and other grid related equipment.
The facility will support the expansion of Liberia’s national electricity network while also serving regional markets within ECOWAS, the Mano River Union, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Production output is projected to grow from between US$4 million and US$6 million in the first year to between US$16 million and US$25 million annually by the fifth year of operations.
The initiative aligns with Liberia’s ARREST Agenda, the National Energy Compact under the World Bank and African Development Bank Mission 300 programme, and LEC’s Strategic Plan 2025 to 2030.
The strategic plan targets increasing generation capacity to 200 megawatts, expanding electricity access to more than 600,000 customers, and reducing system losses to below 15 percent by 2030.
President Boakai described the agreement as a major step toward industrialising Liberia’s economy and modernising the country’s energy sector, while Mr. Sherif said the partnership would enable Liberia to begin producing critical grid equipment locally rather than relying heavily on imports.
Mr. Jasani stated that Thames Electricals would support technology transfer, skills development, and local supply chain growth to ensure long term sustainability of the project.
Construction of the facility is expected to begin within the coming months, with commercial operations scheduled to start in early 2027.