Sierra Leone has managed to restore electricity after facing weeks of power cuts due to unpaid bills amounting to $48 million owed to a Turkish company.
To resolve the immediate crisis, Sierra Leone made an $18 million payment, prompting the country’s energy minister to resign, taking full responsibility for the situation.
The electricity supply to the capital, Freetown, primarily relies on a Turkish ship anchored off the coast.
Karpowership, the company providing this power, had drastically reduced supplies from 60 megawatts to just 6 megawatts due to the outstanding bills, leading to prolonged disruptions affecting residents and hospitals.
Tragically, at least one infant reportedly died due to the lack of power in medical facilities.
The frustration among citizens was palpable, with a second-year engineering student expressing concerns about basic daily tasks like ironing clothes and cooking without electricity, despite paying their bills regularly.
Following the energy minister’s resignation, President Julius Maada Bio’s office announced direct presidential supervision over the energy ministry.
Karpowership’s role in providing electricity to African states has been significant, but it has faced similar issues elsewhere due to non-payment.
In October, it briefly cut power to Guinea-Bissau under similar circumstances.
This incident underscores the challenges many African countries face in ensuring consistent and reliable electricity access.
While there have been improvements in electrification rates, a significant portion of the population in sub-Saharan Africa still lacks access to the grid.
Source-BBC
