Monday night signified another turning point in the history of Liberia’s most celebrated spots event, the National County Sports Meet.
As it may be recalled, ArcelorMittal recently made a donation of US$275,000 as gold sponsor for this year’s county meet, taking over from Orange GSM Company. To date, this is the biggest contribution any sponsor has made to the county meet since its inception back in the 1970s.
But as the company made the pronouncement, it was quick to remind all that when the pages of history that could potentially carry the record of Liberia’s postwar development drive are written, ArcelorMittal’s name would not be forgotten.
Aside from serving as chief sponsor, the Chief Executive officer for ArcelorMittal Liberia, Jozephus Coenen, used the occasion to remind the country about his company’s position on its 3rd mineral development agreement with the government, emphasizing its economic and development significance.
“With the MDA amendment coming into effect, ArcelorMittal Liberia will significantly ramp up the production of premium iron ore, generating significant new jobs and wider economic benefits for Liberia,” he said.
“This is really exciting news, not just for our workforce but for all Liberians and the country. The expansion project encompasses processing, rail and port facilities, and is one of the largest mining projects in West Africa with a capital investment of over a billion United States dollars.”
The AML CEO also went on to lay out the company’s in-process phase two expansion project, which has created nearly 3,000 jobs during the construction phase, with Liberians filling most of these roles.
Coenen was basically reminding about the long way AML has come as a company with the government and people of Liberia. “We are proud of our partnership with Liberia,” Coenen stated.
This is true because since the end of war in Liberia no company has been consistent in supporting to the nation’s rebuilding process as AML has done—from the construction of school and roads to hospitals and clinics, not to mention local and international scholarships.
Coenen was right when he said “Liberia has witnessed, over the years, the tremendous impact of sports in bringing all of us together as a nation and people”.
AcelorMittal has continuously provided support for the county meet, helped fund the preparation of its affected counties, and has been a major sponsor of the Liberia Marathon, and District Leagues in Bong, Nimba and Grand Bassa counties as a commitment to not just national development but also a strong willingness to develop the next generation of Liberian athletes.
CEO Coenen reiterated, “We are proud of the progress accomplished together with the government, and are confident that much more can be achieved. ArcelorMittal is here for the long haul.”
For ArcelorMittal Liberia, the unveiling as headline sponsor of the National County Sports Meet signifies another milestone that accentuates the strong partnership between ArcelorMittal and the people of Liberia.
The theme for this year’s national county meet is, “Liberia: A Nation Celebrating 200 Years of Existence—Maintaining the Peace through Women’s Sports Participation”, which he said “aligns with ArcelorMittal’s long history of support and commitment to activities that promote peace and unity, national reconciliation and development.
Of the 275k provided by the company, US$250,000 constitutes the sponsorship fee, while US$25,000 goes as additional support to the three counties of operation: Nimba, Bong, and Grand Bassa, for the preparation of their teams. Nimba County will receive an amount of US$10,000, Grand Bassa, US$7,500, and Bong, US$7,500.
“We celebrate our contributions to the National County Sports Meet, and can confidently say we, too, are ‘county meet’ champions through the pride brought by Grand Bassa, Bong and Nimba counties when they became champions,” the AML Chief Executive said.