Tombo village, Western Rural District, Monday December 8, 2025
The Minister of Energy, Cyril Arnold Grant, has commended the Government and People of Japan for their commitment to Sierra Leone’s development aspirations, with specific reference to providing the essential infrastructure for energy access.
Mr. Grant was speaking at the groundbreaking of the project for the extension of power distribution network along the Freetown peninsular, where he said the project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, was a generous gift that continues to illuminate the paths of the citizens of Sierra Leone.
“Today marks the renewal of the gift; one designed to meet the demands of our accelerating national ambition.
“This new project will dramatically increase capacity, install a brand new 33kv line which will feed directly from the Goderich substation to the proposed substations at Tombo and York,” he said, noting that this development puts the government well on the way to increasing energy access to 78% by 2030.
The Minister of Energy went on to say the project will benefit communities along the peninsula, including but not limited to Goderich, Tombo, Sussex, Town, York, Madina, Black Johnson, and Kent.
“The new line represents a massive leap in transmission capacity capable of sustaining growth and production for the next decade. It is a long-term investment in our collective future, demonstrating a foresight that matches the scale of the peninsula’s potential,” Mr. Grant stated.
He said reliable energy was the single greatest enabler of a burgeoning private sector, adding that the project will stimulate economic and social growth, guarantee operational efficiency for new hotels, and provide certainty required to invest, expand, and create jobs for local businesses and small-scale entrepreneurs.
“We are profoundly indebted to JICA and the People of Japan for the generous support that they have given us over the years.
“We therefore commit to be diligent stewards of this infrastructure and to leverage it fully to better the lives of our people,” he concluded.
Representative of the Ambassador of Japan to Sierra Leone, Dr. Kishore Shankerdas, said he was honoured to be at the ceremony, noting that the idea of the project was first conceived by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio.
He went on to say that following the request by the President, Japan immediately committed the initial grant funding, while in June 2025, it signed an additional grant agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“With this new commitment, the project now stands at JPY 2,893,000,000, reflecting the commitment of Japan to completing this important project. The project will support Sierra Leone’s energy expansion drive,” he said.
With the energy sector and the Feed Salone agenda being inextricably linked, reforms continue in the sector.
