Joseph Nganga, Vice President for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAAP), paid a courtesy call on President Julius Maada Bio in New York. Facilitated by PI-CREF, the meeting provided an opportunity to talk about progress in the country’s energy sector.
The meeting included Chief Minister, David Sengeh, Minister of Finance, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, PI-CREF’s Pete Kaindaneh, Chief Technical Adviser and Anthony Kamara, PI-CREF Director of Partnerships, Communications and Outreach.
Nganga, who was previously Executive Director, of Power & Climate Africa at The Rockefeller Foundation, confirmed that GEAAP is excited to come back to Sierra Leone after they had decided to pack up and leave because the environment was not conducive He also noted that he was pleased with the work that Dr. Yumkella is doing and the coordination and focus he has brought to the sector, as well as President Bio’s vision for the country.
“In Dr. Yumkella, you have a resourceful and dedicated person, and we are excited to work with him to ensure the energy sector reaches its potential and succeeds,” said Nganga. He also confirmed his participation in the Climate Resilience and Energy Transition (CRET 2024) taking place in November.
President Bio welcomed GEAAP’s decision to return to Sierra Leone and offered his assurances about the reforms currently taking place. “Energy is critical for our development, and when we were confronted with a crisis, I was determined to bring about positive changes and to lead from the front,” he emphasized.
For their part, both the Chief Minister and Minister of Finance assured Nganga of the government’s full support to turn around the energy sector. “We will tackle every challenge and provide the required solutions needed to make the sector work for our people,” said Chief Minister, Sengeh. The government is committed to putting its resources to work as well as leveraging other financial resources, underscored Minister Bangura.
Chairman Yumkella also took the opportunity to inform President Bio about the support GEAPP is currently offering EDSA, including the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer, and support to the Minigrid sector, among others. He expressed excitement that the strategic partnership between Sierra Leone and GEAPP will continue to flourish because both are determined to help the sector in the interest of the Sierra Leonean populace. GEAAP was also instrumental in the feasibility studies done for the Dodo Hydropower Dam.
The government assured Nganga of its commitment to its full rehabilitation, because it is a priority project, and its impact will be immense for the three cities of Bo, Kenema and Kono. Chairman Yumkella further noted that with Dodo’s rehabilitation, it can increase its generation capacity from 6 MW to 12 MW.
