By Austine Luseni.Babadi Kamara, President of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), and Deputy Minister of Mines Umaru Napoleon Koroma paid a courtesy call on Minister of Energy Cyril Arnold Grant to congratulate him on his appointment and discuss potential collaboration between the Ministry of Energy and their respective institutions.
Kamara emphasised that modern football operations in Sierra Leone rely heavily on a reliable electricity supply. He noted that the majority of Leone Rock Premier League matches in the country are played under floodlights, making consistent power necessary for fixture staging. Aside from lighting, he emphasised the broader economic role of electricity at sporting events, noting that a consistent supply benefits businesses, vendors, and entertainment activities surrounding games, thereby boosting local incomes and fan experience. The SLFA president urged Minister Grant to engage with private energy firms operating in the country to explore sponsorship opportunities for the Premier League and other tiers of domestic football, arguing that such collaborations could benefit both the sport and the energy companies’ community engagement goals.
Deputy Minister Koroma emphasised the close and practical link between the energy and mining industries. He described ongoing efforts by the energy and mining ministries to connect mining operations to the national grid, with the goal of promoting efficient and profitable industrial electricity use. Koroma also mentioned a recent high-level delegation comprised of officials from both ministries who met with counterparts in Senegal in December, indicating a desire for regional cooperation on energy and mining issues.
In response, Energy Minister Cyril Arnold Grant expressed gratitude to Kamara and Koroma for their visit and reiterated his commitment to fostering collaboration through strategic partnerships. He affirmed that energy is an important driver of national development and assured the delegation that the energy sector’s current investments and reforms are intended to catalyse multi-sectoral growth. The minister expressed confidence that collaborative efforts between government ministries and private stakeholders could result in tangible benefits for industries, communities, and recreational sectors such as football, and expressed a willingness to continue discussions to identify concrete partnership opportunities.
