A two-year PR and Lobbying contract valued at over US$1 million, a copy of which is in possession of Verity News, shows that the Minister of State without Portfolio, Madam Mamaka Bility, signed a third-party agreement with a US-based firm, Blackwood International Strategic Advisors, to improve US–Liberia relations.
The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs has allocated over one million U.S. dollars to U.S.-based lobbying and public relations firms for strategic consulting and diplomatic engagement with the United States through two third-party firms.
This third-party lobbying and PR firm is being paid by the Liberian Government US$45,000 each month for two year.
The documents, part of a trove of contractual filings and internal government correspondence, detailed a multi-party agreement involving JNA Capital, Inc. and Fattah Capital Advisors LLC as third parties or consulting conduits, and Blackwood International Strategic Advisors, LLC as lobbying firm.
The contract was formalized on February 10, 2025, and is said to be valued at more than $1 million over a two-year period.
The centerpiece of the agreement outlines a broad agenda to strengthen U.S.-Liberia diplomatic relations, secure foreign aid, and reform Liberia’s rice sector, an industry long plagued by price manipulation and logistical inefficiencies.
According to U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings, Blackwood is tasked with engaging key offices in Washington, including the White House and congressional committees, to “strengthen bilateral relations between the United States and Liberia.”
The firm is also charged with facilitating technical cooperation between U.S. agencies and Liberia in agricultural development, with a strong focus on rice production and food security.
In a letter dated December 12, 2024, from the Executive Mansion, Liberia’s Minister of State without Portfolio, Hadja Mamaka Bility, formally introduced Mr. Varfin V. Donzo, head of the President’s Delivery Unit (PDU), as the official liaison for contract execution.
“Mr. Donzo will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of this contract on behalf of the PDU and ensuring effective communication and collaboration among all stakeholders,” the letter states. It further emphasizes that his leadership will be central to achieving the outlined goals.
Mr. Donzo, reachable through a listed personal Gmail address and Liberian phone number, will reportedly coordinate directly with the U.S. firms involved.
While proponents argue that such partnerships are necessary to enhance Liberia’s global standing and secure developmental aid, critics are also expressing concern about the scale of spending on foreign PR consultants, especially third parties or liaisons, at a time when Liberia faces a laundry list of critical domestic needs.
“This is an alarming revelation,” said a Liberian civil society advocate who was also privy to have read the contract. “Over a million dollars going towards foreign PR and lobbying when basic services in our hospitals and schools are underfunded, there needs to be accountability.”
With Liberia’s economy still in recovery and international partners watching closely amid substantial aid cut, the coming weeks may see increased calls for transparency, accountability, and openness regarding government contracts and spending priorities.
Beside this PR and lobbying contract with Blackwood, this paper’s investigation has also uncovered more than 10 similar PR contracts between the Government of Liberia and different US-based firms including Vanguard Africa.
