Page 129 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

106 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

FIGURE 5.4 Sierra Leone’s electricity profile.

access. Only 12% and 1% of the urban and rural populations, respectively, is
electrified. Particularly after the Ebola outbreak of 2014, Sierra Leone’s
economy came almost to standstill, with the closure of borders, the cancel-
lation of airline flights, the evacuation of foreign workers, and a collapse of
cross-border trade.
Exactly 1 year ago, the government of Sierra Leone embarked on a vision
to achieve power for all, signing the first Energy Africa compact with the UK
government. This resulted in the launch of the Sierra Leone Energy Revolu-
tion, a bold initiative to accelerate access to 250,000 homes by end of 2017
and provide universal electricity access by 2025. The goal, with a focus on
household solar solutions, is part of the government’s post-Ebola recovery
plan.
Commitments were made to
l Supply basic power to all of Sierra Leone’s population within 9 years (by
2025)
l Deliver “modern power” to 1 million people by 2020
l Introduce household solar solutions to all 149 chiefdoms in the country
l Eliminate import duties and value-added tax (VAT) on qualified, interna-
tionally certified solar product
An Energy Revolution Task Force was created in cooperation between the
Ministry of Energy and Power for All, a global campaign to accelerate the end
to energy poverty. Established to encourage stakeholder collaboration, enhance
communication and to act as a mechanism for implementation of commitments
by governments and stakeholders, the Task Force quickly became a platform for
market activation: establishing the country’s first trade association, the