His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has presided over the commissioning of the 40MW Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project, RESPITE, located at Newton and Lungi in Port Loko District, Northwest Sierra Leone. He said he was proud of the progress taking place in the energy sector, describing it as a statement of national ambition.
He said the project is proof of Sierra Leone’s significant investment in the energy sector, matching vision with determination, partnership, leadership, and action for the realization of a groundbreaking transformation.
“I take solace, ladies and gentlemen, because I have travelled extensively across Sierra Leone and witnessed firsthand how unreliable electricity affects the daily lives of our people.
“I have visited schools where students struggle to study after sunset. I have seen healthcare workers striving to save lives under difficult conditions. I have spoken to entrepreneurs who bear the highest cost of generators to maintain their operations,” he said, adding that these experiences have reinforced a simple truth: electricity is not a luxury; it is a necessity.
Speaking on the critical role of electricity in the development of a country, President Bio said electricity powers opportunity, strengthens livelihoods, drives enterprises, supports innovation, and enhances national development.
He went on to say that when his government assumed the mantle of governance, fewer than 30% of Sierra Leoneans had access to electricity, stressing further that entire communities remained disconnected from opportunities that reliable power creates.
“Today, Sierra Leone sends a clean and clear message: We are moving forward. We are building an energy future that is more reliable, more resilient, and more inclusive,” he noted.
President Bio underscored the critical importance of reliable electricity, noting that the project being commissioned represents the largest single addition to renewable energy generation capacity in the country’s history. He assured that his Government will strengthen the national grid, improve reliability, increase resilience, and expand access to electricity for many citizens.
“The electricity generated by this project will do more than just power homes and businesses. It will help preserve medicines in clinics, enable our children to study after sunset, support farmers and agro-processors, and create new opportunities for investment and employment,” he said.
He used the occasion to call on EDSA and citizens to pay for electricity services and praised all stakeholders, including former ministers of energy, technicians, and the people of Sierra Leone, for their commitment to the development of the sector and their patience and understanding.
“I want every Sierra Leonean to know that this Government hears you, understands your concerns, and is acting decisively,” he assured Sierra Leoneans.
Energy Minister Hon. Cyril Arnold Grant described the occasion as a major milestone in the country’s quest for energy transformation.
He gave an overview of RESPITE and stressed the strategic importance of Newton and Lungi to the overall policy objective of the project and the desire to positively impact electricity supply for sustainable development.
Chairperson for the occasion, Ndeye Sesay, praised development partners for their support in the realization of the project.
With the energy sector and the Feed Salone agenda being inextricably linked, reforms continue across the sector.
