President Barrow Promises End to Gambia’s Power Outages Within Two Years
During a rally in Brikama on Saturday, President Adama Barrow told supporters that the intermittent electricity supply affecting The Gambia will be resolved within the next 24 months. He framed the promise as part of a broader push to modernise the nation’s energy infrastructure, a topic that has become a focal point in the run‑up to the presidential elections later this year.
Current Power Situation
The Gambia’s national utility, the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), reports that recent outages in Greater Banjul and the West Coast region stem from a decline in electricity imports from the regional West African Power Pool (WAPP) grid. Technical faults at substations and aging distribution lines have exacerbated the problem, leading to frequent blackouts that households and businesses describe as “unpredictable and disruptive.”
According to NAWEC’s operational bulletin released in March 2024, import volumes from neighbouring Senegal fell by approximately 18 % compared with the same period in 2023, prompting the utility to rely more heavily on domestic diesel generators, which are both costly and less reliable.
Government Investment and Plans
President Barrow highlighted several ongoing projects aimed at boosting generation capacity and improving grid stability:
- Expanded Solar Power: The Gambia Renewable Energy Programme, backed by a US$30 million grant from the World Bank, aims to add 50 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity by 2026.
- Transmission Upgrades: NAWEC is upgrading 150 km of high‑voltage lines between Brikama and Soma, a project financed partly by the African Development Bank’s Energy Sector Support Facility.
- Hybrid Diesel‑Solar Plants: Two pilot hybrid facilities in Kanifing and Brikama are expected to reduce diesel consumption by up to 40 % while providing backup power during grid disturbances.
- Metering and Loss Reduction: A nationwide rollout of smart meters is intended to cut technical and commercial losses, which NAWEC estimates currently exceed 22 % of total electricity supplied.
The President asserted that, since independence, no previous administration has allocated as much funding to the energy sector as his government has in the past four years. He cited the 2023 national budget, which earmarked roughly 12 % of total expenditures for electricity infrastructure—a figure corroborated by the Ministry of Finance’s published budget statement.
Political Context and Opposition Critique
Electricity reliability has emerged as a salient issue in the upcoming presidential contest. Opposition parties, including the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), have criticised the government for what they describe as “reactive rather than proactive” management of the power supply.
At a press conference in early April 2024, UDP leader Ousainou Darboe pointed out that, despite the announced investments, outages have increased in frequency over the last six months, arguing that “the promised improvements have yet to materialise on the ground.” Civil society groups such as the Gambia Association of NGOs (GANGO) have echoed these concerns, calling for transparent reporting on project timelines and expenditure.
President Barrow responded by attributing recent disruptions to “technical problems that can occur anywhere,” noting that even advanced economies experience occasional grid faults. He urged voters to consider the long‑term trajectory of his administration’s energy policy rather than short‑term setbacks.
What Experts Say
Independent analysts acknowledge that the Gambia’s renewable energy ambitions are aligned with regional trends. A 2023 study by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) projected that West Africa could achieve up to 35 % renewable electricity generation by 2030 if current investment pipelines are realised.
However, experts caution that success hinges on effective implementation. Dr. Fatoumata Jallow, a lecturer in energy economics at the University of The Gambia, emphasized that “grid stability requires not only new generation but also robust maintenance regimes and skilled personnel—areas where NAWEC still faces capacity gaps.”
The World Bank’s 2022 Energy Sector Review for The Gambia similarly noted that while financing commitments are strong, “project execution risks, particularly around procurement and contractor performance, remain a key challenge.”
Looking Ahead
President Barrow’s pledge to end power outages within two years rests on the timely completion of the solar, transmission, and metering initiatives outlined above. Stakeholders—including NAWEC, international donors, and local communities—will need to coordinate closely to mitigate delays and ensure that the promised investments translate into measurable improvements in service reliability.
For Gambian citizens, the coming months will be a test of whether policy commitments can overcome the technical and logistical hurdles that have historically hampered the nation’s quest for a stable electricity supply.
