05-08-2025
LAIP moves to rebuild trust and deliver for Libyans
LAIP reshapes its legacy with transparency and national priorities
The Libya Africa Investment Portfolio is undergoing a quiet transformation—moving beyond its legacy as a political vehicle towards a more focused, nationally aligned development agenda.
The Libya Africa Investment Portfolio (LAIP), once a symbol of expansive ambition and distant investments, is showing early signs of meaningful transformation. Under renewed leadership, the portfolio appears to be shifting its direction—placing greater emphasis on national development, infrastructure, and regional integration.
Established in 2006, LAIP was originally conceived as a sovereign investment arm aimed at expanding Libya's economic and political footprint across sub-Saharan Africa. For years, it channelled large sums into overseas ventures, many of which lacked transparency or tangible domestic returns. Despite the scale of these investments, Libya saw limited benefit in terms of job creation, infrastructure, or economic resilience. That history has shaped public perceptions and cast a long shadow over the institution's credibility.
Today, however, a different narrative is beginning to take shape. With a restructured leadership team and clearer institutional priorities, LAIP is gradually positioning itself to play a more constructive and domestically relevant role. The current board and executive team have quietly introduced more disciplined governance, aligning the portfolio's activities with national priorities and developmental outcomes.
Recent initiatives include investment commitments aimed at improving local services and quality of life—such as a proposed smart commercial hub and an integrated tourism project. While still in early stages, these projects suggest a pivot towards citizen-focused, practical investment. At the same time, LAIP is restructuring key subsidiaries, including Laptech, an ICT services provider, and Ola Energy, its downstream fuel company operating across several African markets. Notably, Ola Energy reported its second consecutive year of profit growth in 2025—an encouraging indicator of financial recovery under more structured management.
At the heart of LAIP's renewed agenda is the Trans-African Corridors Initiative—a flagship infrastructure programme aiming to link Libya to Niger and Sudan via two key land corridors: Misurata–Tamanhint–Agadez and Benghazi–Kufra–Sudan. These projects are intended not only to boost internal mobility and logistics, but also to re-establish Libya's strategic position within African and Mediterranean trade networks.
Unlike past infrastructure announcements, this initiative has been placed within a clear institutional framework. Following a consultation with the Ministry of Transport in December 2024, Cabinet Resolution No. 535 authorised LAIP to commission feasibility studies and structure the projects through public-private partnerships and build-operate-transfer models. Oversight has been assigned to a Higher Committee established in early 2025, ensuring coordination and accountability throughout implementation.
These efforts align well with broader African ambitions, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), where cross-border connectivity is a key enabler of economic integration. For Libya, the corridors could serve as a bridge to renewed regional influence—particularly among landlocked neighbours seeking reliable access to Mediterranean ports.
In addition to infrastructure, LAIP has launched preliminary investment studies in renewable energy—a forward-looking step given Libya's need to diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on hydrocarbons. While still at a formative stage, this indicates growing strategic alignment with global sustainability trends.
Taken together, these developments reflect more than a change in project selection—they signal a recalibration of LAIP's institutional identity. Under its current leadership, the portfolio is becoming more embedded in Libya's domestic economic landscape. Rather than operating at arm's length from the state, it is now acting with greater visibility and a clearer sense of public purpose.
Of course, expectations remain high and the environment challenging. Libya's economy is still overly centralised, institutions face capacity constraints, and public confidence in state-linked entities remains fragile. Yet institutional credibility is not built overnight. It depends on consistent governance, transparent delivery, and the ability to demonstrate value in people's lives.
If LAIP can maintain this course—focusing on implementation, impact, and strategic clarity—it may yet become a vital instrument in Libya's economic renewal. The path ahead will require political continuity, sound oversight, and measured ambition. But in an era where many public institutions are struggling to redefine their role, LAIP's quiet evolution is worth watching.
