{"id":1250,"date":"2024-11-07T11:42:13","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T11:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/?p=1250"},"modified":"2024-11-07T11:42:15","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T11:42:15","slug":"vice-president-jalloh-advocates-for-energy-transition-to-boost-sierra-leones-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/?p=1250","title":{"rendered":"Vice President Jalloh Advocates for Energy Transition to Boost Sierra Leone&#8217;s Development"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"224\" src=\"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/download-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1251\" style=\"width:371px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/download-8.jpg 225w, https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/download-8-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the second day of the <strong>Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (CREST 2024)<\/strong> held at the <strong>Bintumani International Conference Center<\/strong> in Freetown on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, <strong>Honourable Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh<\/strong> called for a transition of Sierra Leone&#8217;s energy sector from a utility-focused model to one that drives productive economic growth. He emphasized that the government must prioritize energy reform to put the country on a solid development trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Jalloh underscored that the sustainability of the progress made in key social sectors like <strong>education<\/strong> and <strong>health<\/strong> depends on enhancing the country\u2019s <strong>production capacity<\/strong>, which, in turn, requires improved energy resources. He pointed out that the government needs adequate financial resources to continue making strides in the energy sector, which is crucial for the broader development agenda. \u201cEnergy is the key to unlocking the potential of the productive sector,\u201d he stated, explaining that high electricity costs have increased operational expenses for industries such as <strong>mining<\/strong>, <strong>businesses<\/strong>, and <strong>manufacturers<\/strong>, ultimately raising the overall cost of doing business in Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vice President Jalloh emphasized that <strong>energy<\/strong> is the most vital factor in fostering economic growth and unlocking development opportunities. He recounted the challenges faced by Sierra Leone\u2019s energy sector since <strong>2018<\/strong>, when the <strong>Bio Administration<\/strong> inherited a struggling sector marked by <strong>low electricity generation<\/strong>, <strong>poor transmission and distribution capacity<\/strong>, and a <strong>huge electricity debt<\/strong>. He highlighted that the country\u2019s energy sector was burdened by high <strong>technical and financial losses<\/strong>, which translated into high costs for businesses and increased stress on the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these challenges, the government has made significant strides in addressing the energy crisis. The Vice President outlined several key interventions and ongoing projects aimed at improving the energy landscape, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>electrification of the CLSG (C\u00f4te d&#8217;Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea) power line<\/strong> from the Ivory Coast, which has been pivotal in expanding access to electricity across Sierra Leone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The launch of <strong>off-grid solar solutions<\/strong> to power <strong>schools<\/strong>, <strong>community health centers<\/strong>, and support small <strong>community-led businesses<\/strong> throughout the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The increase in electricity supply to the <strong>Western Area<\/strong>, which now receives between <strong>75 to 80 megawatts<\/strong> of power, a significant improvement from previous years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Jalloh further noted that the completion of the <strong>116 lines project<\/strong> will add an additional <strong>116 megawatts<\/strong> to the Western Area grid, helping to eliminate the frequent power <strong>load shedding<\/strong> that has historically plagued the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While acknowledging the progress made, Vice President Jalloh emphasized that energy in Sierra Leone is still primarily treated as a utility, powering only <strong>social services<\/strong> like homes and small businesses. He argued that to truly transform the country\u2019s development, <strong>energy must be viewed as a productive asset<\/strong>, one that drives economic growth, creates <strong>job opportunities<\/strong>, and lowers the cost of doing business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He particularly pointed to <strong>agriculture<\/strong> as a sector that would benefit significantly from affordable and reliable energy, highlighting its role in <strong>food production, storage<\/strong>, and <strong>food system development<\/strong>. He mentioned that <strong>solar mini-grids<\/strong> have transformed rural communities, creating vibrant local economies that thrive even after dark by supporting small businesses and improving overall livelihoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Vice President also highlighted the importance of <strong>reliable energy<\/strong> in healthcare, noting that the government\u2019s <strong>UK-supported project<\/strong> is helping to power <strong>healthcare centers<\/strong>, ensuring that critical services, such as the <strong>storage of vaccines<\/strong>, are available for <strong>under-five children<\/strong> and <strong>pregnant women<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Jalloh stressed that <strong>energy<\/strong> is a critical component in addressing the broader challenges of <strong>fragility<\/strong> faced by many developing nations, including Sierra Leone. He defined <strong>fragility<\/strong> as a state marked by <strong>lack of jobs<\/strong>, <strong>climate change impacts<\/strong>, <strong>high food prices<\/strong>, and <strong>burdens on social services<\/strong>. He argued that investing in the energy sector is essential for moving the country out of fragility, as it directly impacts <strong>job creation<\/strong>, <strong>social service delivery<\/strong>, and the affordability of essential goods like food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Vice President also acknowledged that <strong>resources<\/strong> remain the biggest challenge for expanding investments in the energy sector. Despite this, he reiterated the government&#8217;s commitment to continued reforms and energy sector investments as part of its broader effort to promote sustainable economic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cReliable energy is key to supporting countries to transition out of fragility,\u201d Vice President Jalloh concluded. He called for continued collaboration with international partners and the private sector to overcome the financial challenges and accelerate the development of Sierra Leone\u2019s energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the second day of the Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (CREST 2024) held&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1250"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1252,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1250\/revisions\/1252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}