By Kadiatu Sankoh
Tuesday 3rd December 2024
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education press conference held on Tuesday 3rd December, 2024, provided updates on key national initiatives and developments, including plans for the upcoming Salone Civic Festival, critical updates on addressing the energy crisis, efforts to enhance rural electrification and reforms in the energy sector. The following are the main highlights from the session.
Salone Civic Festival: A Celebration of Civic Engagement
Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, announced the Salone Civic Festival, set for December 11-12, 2024. The festival will be held at the Miatta Conference Hall and the Youyi Building Lawn, and aims to foster dialogue between citizens and government officials. The event will feature panel discussions on Sierra Leone’s “Big Five Game Changers,” alongside art exhibitions, music performances, and food displays. This historic event is an opportunity for citizens to engage directly with governance processes.
Addressing the Energy Crisis: Plans and Progress
The government has prioritized resolving the energy crisis, with an ambitious short, medium and long-term strategy outlined by Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Sector Lead and Chairman of the Energy Governance Coordination Group (EGCG).
In the short term, over six months, the plan involves repairing the Blackhall Road (16MW) and Kingtom (9MW) power plants, importing additional power from Guinea (10MW), Ivory Coast (27MW), and Ghana (40MW), and recruiting a Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer for EDSA with World Bank support.
For the medium term, spanning 12 to 18 months, the government plans to develop new power plants in Newton, Lungi (40MW combined), and Kamakwei (40MW), while expanding solar installations with 15MW at Newton, and the solarization of seven district headquarters towns, 700 schools, and clinics. Additional efforts include connecting mining companies to the national grid and enhancing private-sector participation in EDSA.
In the long term, a gas plant producing 83MW will be constructed by NANT Energy within two and a half years, while upgrades to Dodo Dam (12MW) and Bumbuna-1 (120MW) will be carried out. The plan also includes establishing 200 mini-grids and investing in nationwide transmission and distribution infrastructure, supported by the MCC and Indian EXIM Bank. The overall target is to increase Sierra Leone’s energy generation to 422MW.
Enhancing Rural Electrification
Deputy Minister-1 of Energy, Dr. Eldred Taylor, shared updates on plans to establish a Rural Electrification Agency to coordinate rural electrification programs. He also highlighted the development of a Cost Reflective Tool (CRT) to address tariff discrepancies between rural and urban areas. The government has committed to installing 200 mini-grids nationwide over the next two years.
Strengthening Oversight and Fair Distribution
Deputy Minister-2 of Energy, Ing. Edmond Nonie, emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to fair electricity distribution across the country. He noted that weekly sectoral monitoring meetings are held to ensure progress and accountability.
MCC Compact: Transmission and Distribution Reforms
Ndeye Fatu Koroma, National Coordinator of the Sierra Leone Compact Development Unit (SLCDU), confirmed that the MCC Compact would focus on building and modernizing transmission and distribution lines and implementing policy and governance reforms. The mobilization phase is ongoing, with full-scale implementation expected to commence in 2026 over five years.
Tackling Losses and Reforming EDSA
EDSA Board Chairman, Ing. Andrew Keilie, disclosed that the utility company loses approximately 50 percent of its electricity due to technical and commercial inefficiencies. To address this, EDSA will embark on a Loss Reduction Exercise, including customer inspections and billing compliance. Private sector participation, capacity building, and administrative reforms are also central to EDSA’s strategy for improved service delivery.
©Ministry of Information and Civic EDUCATION