Special Presidential Envoy on Investment Mohammed Bah Expresses Optimism of Securing Investments for Liberia - FrontPageAfrica
Source: Front Page Africa
Author: Christopher C. Walker
Monrovia - The Newly appointed Special Presidential Envoy on investment Mohammed Maladho Bah says he is optimistic of negotiating investment for Liberia that will benefit the Youthful population and the country at large.
By: Christopher C Walker [email protected] 0886723075/0777898224
Mohammed M. Bah was on April 18, 2024 appointed by President Joseph Boakia as his presidential Special Envoy on investment in a move to negotiate with investors to Liberia.
Bah, who is a successful Liberian businessman said the president was wise enough to appoint him to such position because of his track cord over the years in bringing partners to the country.
Even ,s position to convince potential investors to the country because he has contacts.
According to him, he brought some investors to the country during the past government but for some reasons he could not disclose why it didn't work.
"With this appointment, every trip I make out of Liberia, Liberia is not paying for it, my appointment comes as my goodwill to the country. I am not getting a salary from the Liberian government. This is my way of giving back to my country. I will sponsor whatever trip I make with my team."
He said he has a team that puts ideas together in convincing investors to invest which include policy specialists, public speakers and some senior individuals.
Bah said there are people who travel to countries in the name of investors, but in reality, they are not. Many of them, he noted are not, but only come to take photos with heads of states; something he said constantly happened during the George Weah government.
"For me Before I can take anyone seriously, I must know who you are and what you bring to the table, I must travel to your country to see and know where they have their establishment."
President Boakai's Special Envoy on investment said he will use his position in empowering the Youthful generation more. He asserted that investment through his negotiations will also provide scholarship for the young people.
"We all know I am a businessman. One of my strengths is negotiation. I was born with it. The president was wise enough because he knows over the years what I have done. I have brought partners."
"Recently I visited four countries, UAE, China, Lebanon and Ghana to meet with stakeholders. It was before my appointment. Whatever I bring forth to the country, the youth will benefit a lot. We are trying to bring companies to provide scholarships. My companies have social corporate agreement in areas they are operating in. My plan is to bring the same to Liberia. Let me tell you I will look for real investors that will help to create jobs for our people, and this will benefit the government also," he told our reporter in an exclusive interview.
Speaking about his early upbringing, Bah said he struggled to be what he is today and encouraged young Liberians not to give up in life.
He said his Father was a tailor to former Liberian President William R. Tolbert but lost everything after the war. Bah said his father later opened a tea shop after the war where he and his siblings grew up living in a bedroom and the shop in front.
How Bad Started Business
He explained that at the age of 14, he decided to look after himself and pursue his own dreams but his dad wanted him to become a tailor which he did not want.
"I sold candy, coldwater and other items on the street just to make a living and go to school," Bah narrated.
He has love for traveling and it resulted in him leaving Liberia after school and traveling to Tunisia. But Tunisia and Morocco, he said he was afraid to use the sea route to Europe.
Tired with the condition in North Africa, Bah said he returned to Liberia after two years and six months to avoid doing illegal business.
Upon his return to Liberia he started looking for ways to make money and got a call from a friend who was looking for a car to buy and he agreed to find a car for a friend who wanted to start a business. He disclosed that after finding the car, he made US$500 from the transaction and that encouraged him to start looking for cars for people to buy.
After selling cars for people, he explained that he bought his first car to sell in 2012/13, and thereafter, he moved to a used car fence -with two cars for himself and six cars for people in the diaspora.
Later in 2016, he started his own dealership after saving and bought four Toyota 4runners.
In 2020, he explained that he quit selling cars for another business venture: sale of Equipment, excavator, but needed connections to do equipment business. He met a Lebanese who had the financial power and they started a rock crushing plant. Crushing rocks and selling.
"Within the partnership, I had 30% share in the business with about 1-2 million," he said.
Bah said he later started seeking government contracts and signed his first contract in 2021 and started implementation in 2022 with Zircom Industrial Engineering that installed Street lights in Paynesville and parts of Monrovia.
"For the record, I have helped more than 15 people via education and my staff are mostly youth. My company SkyWater is supplying water to the US embassy, APM Terminal and also giving the Liberia Fire Service water for free."