Monrovia, Liberia – The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) and its partners have commissioned the Liberia Energy Efficiency and Access Project (LEEAP) at the LEC RIA Sub-station on Robertfield Highway. The project’s goal, according to project manager Henry Kimber, is to increase the number of Liberians who have access to electricity while encouraging energy efficiency and bolstering the institutional capacity in the electricity sector.
According to him, the Republic of Liberia (Recipient) and the African Development Bank Group signed the Financing Agreement for the Liberia Energy Efficiency and Access Project (LEEAP) on March 10, 2017, with the aim of increasing access to electricity while simultaneously building institutional and human capacity in the country’s electricity sector.
According to him, the project was originally supposed to finish on December 31, 2020, but because of unanticipated events (such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the completion of road extensions along the RIA Corridor, shipwrecks, and others, the closure date was ultimately moved to December 31, 2024
The African Development Bank provided funding for LEEAP from the following sources: grants from the EU and GEF and loans from the others.
Over 39,790 new customers including 50 health facilities, 65 academic institutions, 43 government and public facilities, 250 small businesses have been added since the Liberia Energy Efficiency and Access Project was implemented. Additionally, 6,000 jobs have been created, with roughly 22% of the workforce being female, and crime rates have decreased due to improved access and street lighting, according to LEEAP.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in lower Margibi on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, LEC Interim Managing Director Thomas Z. Gonkerwon declared his unwavering dedication to energy supply and said the Commission is set up to ensure that the ARREST Agenda, Nation 300, will be completed in the years to come.
“Liberia has energy sovereignty, and we need an effective energy sector to be able to do that. We should also examine and change the government structure that oversees the energy industry.”
The project’s successful completion, according to the LEC Acting Managing Director, shows the organization’s steadfast dedication to giving all Liberians access to dependable and secure electricity.
According to Liberia’s Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, the government of Liberia would be able to resolve the nation’s manner problems if it can resolve the power problem.
“Life depends on electricity. It is the cornerstone of well-being. People won’t survive in our hospitals if there is no electricity,” the vice president said.
He went on to say that the administration is putting mechanisms in place to ensure that the problem of power is addressed since it is crucial to the country.
Nona Deprez, the EU’s ambassador to Liberia, added that the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund was established in 2017 with funds from the European Commission, EIB. The fund has supported projects in the energy, transportation, water, and communication sectors, helping to promote sustainable economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa.
The installation of 45km (66kv) double circle transmission lines from Paynesville to the RIA substation and the 980km distribution network along the Paynesville to RIA and Pleebo, Fish Town corridor were among the major milestones reached under the LEEA Project, according to Madam Deprez.
Nearly 40,000 Liberians now have access to electricity, according to the European Union’s (EU) ambassador to Liberia. Additionally, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Renewable and Rural Electricity Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, LEC, and graduates from various vocational schools have donated skilled personnel to the power sector.
Madam Deprez emphasized the EU’s EUR 107 million commitment to the power sector at the event, highlighting the noteworthy advancements made in Liberia’s growing electrical network.
According to her, the significant investment positions the EU as the primary grant provider and would help Liberia combat climate change, lower power prices, and redirect investment to other sectors.
