By Foday Daboh
Public Policy Analyst | Political Economist, University of Pennsylvania
There is a troubling pattern in Sierra Leone’s national discourse. It is a pattern that risks distorting truth and misleading citizens. It is the rewriting of history to serve present political convenience.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the ongoing conversation about electricity.
A narrative has been pushed in some quarters that uninterrupted electricity and water supply were handed over to the SLPP government in 2018. This claim suggests that Sierra Leone had achieved stability and sufficiency in energy before that political transition. It is a claim that stands in sharp contrast to the lived reality of millions of Sierra Leoneans.
A fact based examination tells a different story.
By the end of the APC administration, Sierra Leone’s total installed electricity capacity stood at roughly 100 megawatts. Even this figure did not reflect consistent output. The country’s main source of power, the Bumbuna hydroelectric plant, was highly dependent on seasonal water levels. During the dry season, its output often dropped significantly below its nominal capacity of 50 megawatts.
In practical terms, electricity supply during that period was unreliable and largely limited to parts of Freetown.
Access to electricity across the country was estimated at about 16 percent of the population. This meant that more than 80 percent of Sierra Leoneans had little to no access to electricity. Many district headquarters experienced minimal supply, while rural communities were almost entirely excluded from the national grid.
These are not subjective opinions. They are supported by documented data and widely acknowledged assessments of the energy sector at the time.
Today, the situation has changed in measurable ways.
Installed electricity capacity has increased to over 250 megawatts. Access to electricity has more than doubled, reaching approximately 35 percent of the population. Solar energy has been introduced in a more meaningful and structured manner. Independent power producers now contribute to the national supply. Mini grids are extending electricity services beyond traditional urban centres. Regional energy integration is also progressing through cross border power initiatives.
These developments represent structural shifts in the energy sector. They are not cosmetic adjustments.
Recent observations from within the country further highlight this shift. Despite persistent negative narratives circulating on social media, experiences on the ground present a more complex picture. While challenges remain, the level of electricity supply observed in several areas does not align with claims of a country in total darkness.
This contrast raises an important question about the nature of the current debate.
The available evidence suggests that Sierra Leone today has more electricity capacity and broader access than at any previous point in its history. This does not imply that the system is perfect or that service is uninterrupted. It simply reflects a measurable expansion in supply and reach.
At the same time, the increase in electricity supply has been matched by a rapid rise in demand. Population growth, urban expansion, increased commercial activity, and higher public expectations have all placed additional pressure on the system.
This has changed the nature of the challenge.
Sierra Leone is no longer dealing primarily with the absence of electricity. Instead, it is confronting the complexities of managing a growing and evolving energy system where demand is rising faster than the ability to provide consistent supply.
In this context, outages cannot be interpreted solely as evidence of failure. In many cases, they are symptoms of a system undergoing expansion and transition.
The current challenges are more technical and structural in nature. They include inefficiencies in distribution, losses within transmission networks, gaps in revenue collection, and limitations in infrastructure capacity. These issues are significant and require sustained attention, but they differ fundamentally from the conditions of near total scarcity that characterised earlier periods.
It is important to distinguish between progress and perfection. No country moves from limited electricity access to universal and uninterrupted supply within a short timeframe. Infrastructure development follows a gradual and often uneven path.
What matters most is the direction of change.
In Sierra Leone’s case, the trajectory points toward expansion and diversification. The country has moved away from a system heavily dependent on a single hydro source to one that incorporates multiple energy inputs. Access has extended beyond the capital to other regions. Foundations have been laid for future growth through planned projects such as Bumbuna II and participation in regional power pools like the CLSG interconnection.
These developments are significant in the long term evolution of the energy sector.
Claims that Sierra Leone once enjoyed widespread uninterrupted electricity require closer scrutiny. Such claims raise a simple but important question. Who exactly benefited from that uninterrupted supply?
It is unlikely to have been the majority of citizens. It was not the reality for most rural communities. Even in urban areas, many households depended heavily on generators due to inconsistent grid supply.
Public discourse must be anchored in verifiable facts rather than selective memory or political narratives.
This does not mean that current governance should be shielded from criticism. Concerns about the reliability of supply, the cost of electricity, and service delivery are valid and deserve serious attention. Constructive criticism plays an essential role in improving policy outcomes.
However, such criticism must be grounded in evidence.
The available data indicates that electricity supply and access have increased significantly in recent years. This forms the basis for a more productive national conversation.
The focus now should be on consolidating these gains. Investment in transmission and distribution networks must be accelerated. Technical and commercial losses need to be reduced. Governance within the energy sector should be strengthened to improve efficiency and accountability. Efforts must also be directed toward ensuring that increased capacity translates into reliable and affordable electricity for households and businesses across the country.
This is the conversation that holds value for national development.
A conversation built on accuracy rather than revision. A conversation that acknowledges both progress and remaining challenges. A conversation that places the interests of citizens above political positioning.
In the final analysis, governance is measured not by the strength of narratives but by tangible outcomes.
On the issue of electricity, the available figures provide a clear indication of change.
The responsibility now lies in sustaining that progress and addressing the gaps that remain.
