President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has announced Sierra Leone’s most ambitious energy goal yet, expanding electricity access from 36 percent to nearly 78 percent by 2030.
Speaking at the opening of the Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (CRET) 2025 in Freetown, President Bio said the move reflects his government’s commitment to delivering clean, reliable, and affordable energy to every Sierra Leonean.
The expansion, he explained, will connect at least 720,000 new households through a mix of grid extensions, off-grid systems, and renewable mini-grids. The plan forms part of the Mission 300 initiative, an Africa-wide effort to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030.
“Our energy transition is not just about power lines and generators — it’s about people, opportunity, and equity,” President Bio said. “We are working to ensure that no home, school, or business is left in the dark.”
The President emphasized that this transformation will be supported by reforms in energy governance, transparency, and efficiency — tackling challenges such as losses in transmission and distribution.
He further noted that Sierra Leone’s energy roadmap aligns with the government’s broader Green Growth and Just Energy Transition Plan, which seeks to balance economic progress with environmental sustainability.
The CRET 2025 dialogue, organized under the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security (PI-CREF), brings together over 500 stakeholders from government, the private sector, civil society, and international partners including the World Bank, African Development Bank, and UNDP.
According to the President, this renewed push for nationwide electrification is not only about increasing numbers but transforming lives — powering schools, hospitals, farms, and businesses that drive Sierra Leone’s future.
“Energy access means more than light — it means progress, productivity, and dignity for our people,” he added.