President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has named Steven M. Yekeson Jr. as the new Minister of Commerce and Industry in a move aimed at accelerating government delivery, strengthening market oversight, and invigorating local enterprise. Yekeson takes over from Minister Magdalene E. Dagoseh, who has served since late 2024 and is expected to be reassigned within the government. This appointment reflects the administration's focus on fine-tuning Cabinet operations to serve Liberians better.
Yekeson's extensive experience spans investment finance, infrastructure, maritime reform, public administration, business, and institutional restructuring. He currently serves as President of Panchariya Group's West African operations, leading business and project development, investment banking, and project financing. His portfolio covers electricity generation, transmission, and related infrastructure, sectors that sit at the heart of Liberia's industrial constraints.
Before joining Panchariya, Yekeson served as Chief Financial Officer of South Atlantic Capital Group from 2022 to 2024, where he was responsible for financial planning, budgeting, and risk management. He also worked on strategies intended to widen financial inclusion and access to capital, which bears directly on one of Liberia's most persistent business complaints: worthy enterprises often remain too small or weakly capitalized to compete.
Yekeson's background gives him direct exposure to the systems, investments, and institutional decisions that determine whether enterprises survive or collapse under the weight of operating costs. His experience in the financial sector and public administration provides a practical appreciation of what businesses endure, particularly in regards to unreliable and costly electricity, which raises prices and limits expansion.
As Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Public Works from 2012 to 2013, Yekeson oversaw administration, finance, and strategic planning. He coordinated project identification, appraisal, and budget preparation with the Ministry of Finance, the Legislature, and development partners. He also directed an institutional-reform agenda that included a roadmap for transforming the ministry's operational unit into a Road Authority.
Yekeson's appointment places an experienced financial expert, business leader, and public administrator at the helm of a ministry central to investment, trade, consumer protection, and industrial growth. His curriculum vitae suggests that he understands how capital, regulation, and government machinery interact, which is crucial for delivering visible improvements for traders, producers, and consumers.
Liberians will judge whether Yekeson's understanding produces fairer markets, credible enforcement, and opportunities they can reach. The realignment of the Cabinet aims to ensure that public-sector leadership remains nimble, accountable, and focused on improving the everyday conditions of the Liberian people. The strategic transition aligns directly with the administration's drive to reorganize its service-delivery framework across key government institutions.
Key points
- President Joseph Nyuma Boakai appoints Steven M. Yekeson Jr. as Minister of Commerce and Industry to accelerate government delivery and invigorate local enterprise.
