GREENVILLE, Sinoe County, October 20, 2026 – A five-member delegation from the U.S. state of Maryland has undertaken an assessment of the Samuel Alfred Ross Port of Greenville, as efforts intensify to rehabilitate the facility and improve its operational capacity.
The visit could pave the way for a proposed donation of approximately US$500,000 worth of equipment and resources identified in Maryland, subject to the outcome of the technical assessment and further arrangements between the parties.
Led by former Maryland State Senator Michael Bowen Mitchell, the delegation is examining the port’s infrastructure, cargo-handling capacity, technological requirements, energy needs and emergency response systems.
The assessment also covers road infrastructure, healthcare, women’s farming activities, youth empowerment and development needs in surrounding communities.
According to a press release, the initiative forms part of the Maryland-Liberia Sister-State cooperation framework, established to strengthen infrastructure development and institutional capacity.
The delegation comprises Maryland Commissioner for African Affairs Tolutope Adeyoju; maritime and port operations specialist James Rose Jr.; information technology and solar energy specialist Marcus Lorick; and Lt. Shana Alexandria Haughton, a specialist in firefighting, safety and emergency medical services.
Mitchell, a lawyer and former state senator, serves on the board of Sister States of Maryland and chairs the Maryland-Liberia Sister-State Joint Infrastructure and Capacity Building Planning Committee.
The mission follows a July 2026 appeal by Greenville Port Executive Director Cllr. Sylvia Tarley, who requested assistance from Maryland authorities to rehabilitate the port and address development challenges in nearby communities.
The cooperation initiative is being coordinated through a joint committee established under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2026.
The delegation arrived in Liberia on October 11, following a September 18 meeting with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in Washington, D.C.
On October 13, the team held preliminary discussions with National Port Authority (NPA) Managing Director Sekou A.M. Dukuly at the Freeport of Monrovia before traveling to Greenville on October 15 for the technical assessment.
The exercise includes evaluating the port’s physical infrastructure, cargo-handling equipment, structural foundations, quayside depth, soil-bearing capacity and environmental conditions to determine the suitability of proposed cranes and other heavy machinery.
The team is also examining opportunities to introduce modern port management software, automated logistics systems and improved maintenance procedures to enhance efficiency and revenue generation.
Beyond port operations, the delegation is assessing development priorities in Dioh Town, Teah Town and Seebeh, with particular attention to women’s agriculture, healthcare, public safety, youth development and road connectivity.
Meanwhile, NPA Executive Director for Ports and Harbors Mulbah G. Hwesa outlined the port’s long-term expansion master plan, which includes additional piers, breakbulk and bulk cargo terminals, and potential infrastructure to support iron ore exports should mining operations resume at Putu Mines in Grand Gedeh County.
“The master plan says that it’s protected,” Hwesa said, explaining that provisions have been made for additional terminals and piers to expand the port’s capacity.
The delegation’s findings are expected to guide the joint committee in determining equipment requirements, finalizing arrangements for the proposed donation and identifying additional development support.
However, no final agreement has been announced linking the proposed US$500,000 equipment package to specific rehabilitation projects under the port’s expansion master plan.
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