The Office of the President State House has issued a public notice announcing that His Excellency Julius Maada Bio will now directly supervise the Ministry of Energy, responding to Sierra Leone’s persistent electricity crisis. This decision follows Alhaji Ibrahim Kanja Sesay’s immediate resignation as Minister of Energy.

According to the public notice, President Bio will be supported in his supervisory role by two Deputy Ministers: Dr. Eldred Tunde Taylor, appointed as Deputy Minister 1, and Edmond Nonie as Deputy Minister 2.

The move signals a direct intervention by the President to address the challenges facing the energy sector, which has been plagued by inadequate power supply and frequent blackouts.

In addition to the leadership changes, the Ministry of Finance has taken steps to alleviate the financial burden on the energy sector. It has paid US$17 million to the Turkish company Karpowership, aiming to reduce the outstanding debt of approximately US$40 million.

Furthermore, efforts to enhance regional cooperation in energy have been bolstered. The government has allocated US$1.5 million to the West Africa Power Pool Project, TRANCSCO-CLSG, enabling it to receive electricity supply from Ivory Coast. This investment aims to diversify the country’s energy sources and improve reliability.