INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE

The report analyzes the mini-grid sectors in Sierra Leone and Nigeria, focusing on regulatory frameworks, tariff structures, subsidies, and the productive use of energy (PUE). It highlights that while Sierra Leone has established a regulatory framework, its market is nascent and characterized by a top-down, donor-funded approach, whereas Nigeria has a more mature, private-sector-led market. Key findings emphasize the need for Sierra Leone to shift toward a bottom-up approach, implement results-based financing (RBF), and integrate PUE to improve the commercial viability of mini-grids and reduce end-user tariffs.

• Sierra Leone's national electrification rate is 26 percent, dropping to 6 percent in rural areas, while Nigeria's national rate is 57 percent with a rural access rate of 31 percent.
• Mini-grid tariffs in Sierra Leone are generally higher than in Nigeria; average tariffs for RREP sites in 2019 were USD 0.85/kWh, decreasing to an average of USD 0.79/kWh for combined WP-1 and WP-2 sites, compared to a Nigerian average of about USD 0.58/kWh.
• The Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP) in Sierra Leone has primarily used a top-down, public ownership/private management model, whereas Nigeria's development has been more bottom-up and private sector-led.
• Productive use of energy (PUE) is critical for the commercial viability of mini-grids in Sierra Leone, with milling and refrigeration identified as the most common applications.
• In Nigeria, the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) utilizes a results-based financing (RBF) mechanism, including performance-based grants (PBG) of USD 350 per connection, to incentivize private developers.
• Sierra Leone's mini-grid site selection for the RREP initially prioritized the existence of Community Health Centres (CHCs) and population density (minimum 250 structures), with less emphasis on demand-side considerations in the first phase.
• Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency (REA) uses georeferenced data and a platform called Odyssey to streamline site selection and provide demand forecasting to developers.
• The report recommends that Sierra Leone adopt a hybrid up-front cash grant/RBF scheme to reduce project development costs and lower tariffs.
• The report identifies high up-front equipment costs, lack of access to finance for SMEs, and limited technical capacity as major barriers to PUE growth in Sierra Leone.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2021). INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2021-05/Energy-Access-SierraLeone-SEforALL.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE. 2021. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2021-05/Energy-Access-SierraLeone-SEforALL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=INCREASING ENERGY ACCESS IN SIERRA LEONE |date=1 March 2021 |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2021-05/Energy-Access-SierraLeone-SEforALL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2021increasing, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, 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-SierraLeone-SEforALL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }