INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE

This executive summary, commissioned by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), provides guidance to the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) for the sustainable development of its mini-grid sector. It compares the regulatory frameworks, tariff structures, and subsidy schemes of Sierra Leone and Nigeria, while emphasizing the role of Productive Use of Electricity (PUE) in enhancing rural economic development and mini-grid viability.

• Sierra Leone faces significant electricity access challenges, with a national electrification rate of 26 percent, which drops to 6 percent in rural areas. Grid reliability is poor, with fewer than one-third of surveyed households and firms reporting reliable access.
• Mini-grid tariffs in Sierra Leone are generally higher than those in Nigeria. Initial tariffs for Work Package 1 (WP-1) sites averaged USD 0.85/kWh, though more recent negotiations for WP-1 and WP-2 sites reduced the average to USD 0.79/kWh. In contrast, Nigerian mini-grid tariffs average about USD 0.58/kWh.
• Affordability is a primary barrier to mini-grid adoption in Sierra Leone; 80 percent of surveyed community members who did not connect to a mini-grid cited the tariff as the main reason. This is attributed to smaller site sizes, limited demand, and high development costs, though the report notes that many users may lack understanding of energy expenditures.
• The Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP) in Sierra Leone has utilized a top-down public-private partnership model, whereas Nigeria has employed a more bottom-up, private sector-led approach supported by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
• Productive Use of Electricity (PUE) is identified as critical for increasing the purchasing power of rural agrarian communities in Sierra Leone. Common applications include milling and refrigeration, specifically supporting sectors such as rice, palm oil, fish, vegetables, and groundnuts.
• The report recommends that the Government of Sierra Leone establish a dedicated rural electrification agency or directorate and implement a long-term 'master plan' with clear national targets to provide predictability for private investors.
• To reduce tariffs and project delays, the report suggests adopting a hybrid up-front cash grant/Results-Based Financing (RBF) scheme and streamlining import duty exemptions for solar and ancillary equipment.

APA

LaBua, A., Adaju, S., Uwajeh, I., Alaba, K., Johnson, S., Cooper, A., & Aron, C. (2021). INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE. Sustainable Energy for All. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2021-05/Energy-Access-Sierra-Leone-es-SEforALL.pdf

Chicago

LaBua, Alexander, Segun Adaju, Ifechukwude Uwajeh, Koye Alaba, Sophie Johnson, Aleece Cooper, and Clifford Aron. INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE. Sustainable Energy for All, 2021. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2021-05/Energy-Access-Sierra-Leone-es-SEforALL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=LaBua |first1=Alexander |last2=Adaju |first2=Segun |last3=Uwajeh |first3=Ifechukwude |last4=Alaba |first4=Koye |last5=Johnson |first5=Sophie |last6=Cooper |first6=Aleece |last7=Aron |first7=Clifford |title=INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE |publisher=Sustainable Energy for All |date=March 2021 |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2021-05/Energy-Access-Sierra-Leone-es-SEforALL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{labua2021increasing, author = {LaBua, Alexander and Adaju, Segun and Uwajeh, Ifechukwude and Alaba, Koye and Johnson, Sophie and Cooper, Aleece and Aron, Clifford}, title = {{INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2021-05/Energy-Access-Sierra-Leone-es-SEforALL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }