FREETOWN, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has approved a financing package of 60 million U.S. dollars for Sierra Leone to expand access to electricity through clean and sustainable energy.
The financing is part of a 200-million-dollar package for Benin, the Central African Republic, Liberia, and Sierra Leone under the first phase of a broader regional program valued at 853 million dollars.
According to Sierra Leone's Ministry of Energy, the investment will support the country's National Energy Compact under Mission 300 by expanding electricity access through solar home systems, mini-grids and other off-grid renewable energy solutions, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
With only about 36 percent of the population currently connected to electricity, the program is expected to mobilize an additional 54 million dollars in private investment while providing reliable power to more than 1.2 million people and about 24,000 businesses in the country.
Minister of Energy Cyril Grant said the approval marked another important step toward achieving universal electricity access in Sierra Leone.
"Distributed renewable energy offers the fastest and most practical way to reach many of our rural communities. This investment will help bring reliable electricity to households, schools, health facilities and businesses, while creating opportunities for economic growth," Grant said.
The ministry said the program would improve access to essential services, boost agricultural and small business productivity, create employment opportunities for young people and women, and strengthen the country's transition to climate-resilient energy systems.
