The Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), Eugene Lenn Nagbe, has drawn the curtains on his five-year tenure with two years left.
Appointed in 2020 to steer President George Manneh Weah’s mandate to restore Liberia’s maritime program to its prewar status, Nagbe is going down the annals of maritime history as a go-getter, having successfully achieved significant milestones, namely the election of Liberia to Category A of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council in 2023; an increased international vessel registration; sustained revenue quota to the Government of Liberia (GoL), the completion of LiMA’s headquarters; and the opening the Authority’s regional offices in Sinoe and Maryland counties, all aimed at catering to the ports of Greenville and Harper. This feat underpins Liberia’s flag state, its port state, and its ISPS regime.
During the three years of his reign, Commissioner Nagbe took steps to strengthen Liberia’s competitiveness in the maritime industry by providing scholarships to scores of 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 stint, Liberia was elected Chair of the IMO's Marine Environmental Protection Committee. The country’s shipping registry saw a historic increase in vessels and gross registered tonnage. This is the highest growth recorded in the registry within a decade. Additionally, Liberia rejoined the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authority (IALA). Moreover, Liberia operationalized the Convention on the Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) to improve turnaround time at the Freeport of Monrovia, thereby helping the country prepare for the IMO Member States Audit scheme.
This is a mandatory process, and Commissioner Nagbe pushed uncompromisingly to ensure that Liberia got through the scheme, given its position in the global maritime industry. The audit is scheduled for November 2024.
“I want to thank my deputies who gave me a lot of support: Deputy Commissioner Charles A. Gono, Deputy Commissioner Margaret Ansumana, Deputy Commissioner Emmanuel N. Reeves, and Deputy Commissioner Edwina Collins. Also, I want to say thanks to the directors. I am saying thanks because I met a very strong and professional team here. That was the root of my success. When you take over an entity that works well, you only have to make it work better.
The Liberia Maritime Authority is successful because of the professional people who run it,” Commissioner Nagbe pointed out.
He tendered his resignation to President George Manneh Weah on January 18, 2024, to formalize his departure.
In remarks, the Principal Director of Administration and Legal Services, Cllr. Nya S. Gbaintor said Commissioner Nagbe would be remembered for his humility and availability to the workforce at all times, regardless of status.
In the aftermath of Commissioner Nagbe’s departure, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai appointed Deputy Commissioner Emmanuel N. Reeves as Officer-In-Charge (OIC), pending the appointment of a new Commissioner.
PC: former Commissioner Eugene Lenn Nagbe in handshake with Officer-In-Charge, Deputy Commissioner Emmanuel N. Reeves.