Following their return from the United Arab Emirates, where they represented Liberia at the 2026 World Governments Summit in Dubai, Senators Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County and Nya D. Twayen, Jr. of Nimba County on Thursday mounted a strong push within the Liberian Senate for the development of a comprehensive, action-based national plan to aggressively promote Liberia’s investment and tourism opportunities globally.
The two lawmakers formed a Senate delegation that, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended and participated in the World Governments Summit held from February 2 to 6, 2026, under the theme “Shaping Future Governments.” The high-level global gathering brought together governments, international organizations, thought leaders, and private sector actors from across the world to foster international cooperation and generate innovative solutions to future governance and development challenges.
Upon their return to Monrovia, Senators Dillon and Twayen formally communicated with the Senate Plenary calling its attention to what they described as a critical gap identified during their participation in the summit. According to the Senators, engagements with potential investors and international partners in Dubai revealed that Liberia’s diplomatic missions abroad are ill-equipped to effectively market the country’s economic potential due to the absence of structured investment opportunity packages, incentive frameworks, and coordinated tourism promotion strategies.
In their communication to the Senate, the lawmakers stressed that this shortcoming undermines Liberia’s new diplomatic and foreign policy direction, which places emphasis on economic diplomacy as opposed to long-standing aid dependency. They argued that without clear and compelling investment and tourism materials, Liberia’s ambassadors and diplomats are constrained in their ability to project the country as a serious and competitive destination for foreign direct investment and international tourism.
As a result, Senators Dillon and Twayen requested that the Senate Plenary invite the National Investment Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Tourism Authority to appear before the relevant Senate committees. The Senators want these institutions to present a comprehensive and actionable plan outlining Liberia’s investment and tourism opportunities. In the event that no such plan currently exists, they recommended that the institutions be mandated by the Senate to develop one within a reasonable timeframe.
The Senators further proposed that once finalized, the plan should be distributed to all Liberian embassies and diplomatic missions around the world. This, they said, would enable embassies to organize structured investment and tourism forums in their respective host countries, serving as effective platforms to persuade investors and tourists to consider Liberia as a viable and attractive destination.
They expressed confidence that such an initiative would significantly advance Liberia’s economic diplomacy agenda, strengthen the country’s global presence, and contribute meaningfully to boosting investment inflows and tourism development.
During deliberations on the Senate floor, Senator Nya D. Twayen, Jr. elaborated on the motivation behind the request. He explained that many countries represented at the World Governments Summit arrived with well-prepared investment portfolios and tourism promotion materials, which allowed them to engage confidently with investors and development partners. In contrast, he noted that Liberia’s representatives were often handicapped by the lack of concrete documentation to present to interested parties.
Senator Twayen described the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai, as an emerging global financial hub where investors are constantly seeking new opportunities. He emphasized that Liberia missed valuable opportunities because its representatives were unable to present structured information on investment incentives, priority sectors, and tourism prospects.
He further stated that the initiative is not intended to benefit only one embassy or one region but is designed to provide a standardized national investment and tourism message that can be used by all Liberian embassies worldwide. According to him, such a document would clearly articulate why investors should choose Liberia, what incentives are available, and what benefits would accrue from investments in key sectors, including tourism.
Senator Twayen also highlighted Liberia’s untapped potential, describing the country as green, new, and rich in opportunities beyond its well-known mineral resources. He maintained that with proper documentation and promotion, Liberia could attract significant interest from investors and tourists who currently know little about the country’s broader economic and cultural assets.
Following the reading of the communication and subsequent deliberations, the Senate Plenary took decisive action by resolving to constitute itself into a Committee of the Whole. Under this arrangement, the National Investment Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Tourism Authority will be required to appear before the full Senate to provide the information requested by the lawmakers.
The Plenary further agreed that the three institutions should present their plans or outline steps toward developing the proposed comprehensive investment and tourism strategy within a two-week timeframe.
