Liberia - Scaling up the participation of Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the secondary wood processing industry

The proposed project is a technical assistance to Liberia’s fast-growing wood processing industry. The country has close to one million hectares of forest available for sustainable harvesting, and its forestry sector offers immense opportunities for domestic and international investors. Despite growing demand for veneers, plywood and furniture, production of processed wood products remains limited, due to the constraints of SME’s which still use rudimentary methods and have limited access to financing and market outlets. This US$1,000,000 project funded by Fund for Africa Private Sector Assistance (FAPA) presents an important opportunity to promote the private sector by scaling up the participation of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the secondary wood processing industry to promote inclusive green growth, employment and economic diversification in Liberia. The grant will strengthen the capacity of public and private sector players in the nation’s secondary wood processing industry and provide institutional support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This will include the training of approximately 60 furniture producers and carpenters on value addition techniques, access to finance, market and marketing opportunities, business management skills, enterprise development planning, group dynamics and price negotiations.