MONROVIA – The Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Maritime Authority, Eugene Lenn Nagbe, has resigned from the post despite having two years remaining in his tenure.
Appointed in 2020 to lead President George Manneh Weah’s initiative to restore Liberia’s maritime program to its prewar status, Nagbe is now cemented in maritime history as a go-getter, having achieved significant milestones.
These include ensuring Liberia’s election to Category A of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council in 2023, surpassing Panama as the largest ship registry for the first time in 30 years, increasing international vessel registration by 10 in 2020, maintaining revenue quotas to the Government of Liberia despite Covid-19, completing the headquarters of LiMA, and opening LiMA Regional Offices in Sinoe and Maryland Counties to cater to the ports of Greenville and Harper. These accomplishments have fortified Liberia’s flag state, port state, and ISPS regimes.
During his three-year tenure, Commissioner Nagbe took decisive measures to enhance Liberia’s competitiveness in the maritime industry. This included providing scholarships for many young people to pursue specialized careers in marine engineering, nautical science, and marine electrical and electronics at the Regional Maritime University in Ghana and the World Maritime University in Sweden.
During his tenure, Liberia was elected Chair of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee of the IMO. The shipping registry experienced a historical increase of 10.7% and 12.6% in the number of vessels and gross registered tonnage, marking the highest growth in a decade. Liberia rejoined the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authority (IALA), operationalized the FAL Convention to improve turnaround times at the Freeport of Monrovia, and prepared for the IMO Member States Audit scheme, a mandatory process to assess Liberia’s compliance with critical IMO instruments.
The LiMA Boss is leaving after leading the campaign for President Weah’s second term bid and achieving the milestone of returning Liberia to the echelon of the IMO Council in Category A. This sets the country’s maritime program on the trajectory of sustainable growth. Mr. Nagbe has hinted to close associates that, given his role in President Weah’s re-election campaign, it is a matter of moral imperative for him to leave as part of President Weah’s outgoing staff, instead of being associated with individuals whose political ideology he does not share. Close associates to Mr. Nagbe have indicated that he intends to build a formidable part of the opposition under the banner of the Coalition Democratic Change (CDC). He has submitted his resignation to President Weah to formalize his departure, expected to take place today, January 18, 2024.