By Wilmot Konah, dadekolly20@gmail.com
The Government of Liberia has launched an international competitive bidding process to select a private investor to develop, expand, operate and maintain Roberts International Airport (RIA) under a 25-year concession aimed at modernizing the country’s main international gateway.
Deputy Information Minister Daniel O. Sando announced the initiative during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing in Monrovia on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
The project is being undertaken by the Ministry of Transport and the Liberia Airport Authority under a Finance-Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (FDBOT) model. Under the arrangement, the Government of Liberia will retain ownership of Roberts International Airport while the successful investor will finance, design, expand, modernize, operate and maintain the facility throughout the 25-year concession period.
The National Investment Commission is overseeing the procurement process, while Meinhardt (Malta) Pvt. Ltd. has been appointed as the transaction advisor to manage the international bidding process.
Interested local and international firms are required to purchase the tender documents for a non-refundable fee of US$5,000 and complete all required documentation to qualify for the bidding process.
According to the government, the procurement process includes mandatory site visits, a period for bidders to submit questions and requests for clarification, and the submission of final bids by 2:00 p.m. GMT on November 2, 2026. All bids must be submitted to the National Investment Commission in accordance with the requirements outlined in the tender documents.
Officials say the airport expansion project is expected to modernize Liberia’s principal international airport, improve passenger and cargo services, attract private sector investment, strengthen the country’s aviation sector and support economic growth by improving transport infrastructure and connectivity.
The government emphasized that the concession does not amount to the sale of Roberts International Airport. Instead, it is a long-term public-private partnership under which a private investor will finance and manage the airport while ownership remains with the Government of Liberia.
At the end of the 25-year concession period, Roberts International Airport, along with all agreed infrastructure improvements made during the contract, will revert to the Government of Liberia in accordance with the terms of the concession agreement.
