The Government of The Gambia wishes to address the public regarding the current electricity supply challenges affecting parts of the country and to clarify several inaccurate claims circulating in recent public commentary.
First and foremost, while the Government fully understands and acknowledges the frustration and inconvenience experienced by customers, particularly during this important period ahead of Tobaski, it is important to state clearly that the present load-shedding situation does not affect the entire country.
The current interruptions are largely concentrated in parts of the Greater Banjul Area and sections of the West Coast Region, especially during peak demand periods from approximately 6:00 PM onwards. Provincial regions are largely unaffected and are not experiencing comparable disruptions.
The Government also wishes to inform the public that these electricity supply interruptions may have a corresponding impact on water supply in some affected areas, as water production and distribution systems rely heavily on a stable power supply.
It is equally important to clarify that the situation is not primarily due to unpaid debts, as has been inaccurately suggested in some public discussions. Rather, the challenges are mainly linked to technical difficulties within the regional power supply network, which are also affecting neighboring countries across the sub-region.
The situation has been further exacerbated by broader geopolitical developments and fuel supply disruptions, impacting energy suppliers in the region and leading to temporary operational limitations in some generation plants. These are exceptional and temporary circumstances, not a collapse of the national electricity system.
Contrary to some claims, national electricity generation has not ceased. The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) continues to operate and rehabilitate its generators while accelerating efforts to expand domestic generation capacity. Significant progress is being made to bring additional units online, with the goal of achieving nearly 50 megawatts of internal generation capacity in the near term.
The Government also wishes to remind the public that the OMVG regional interconnection project was designed to provide member states with access to more affordable and reliable electricity imports while strengthening local generation capacity over time. As with interconnected systems worldwide, temporary disturbances in one part of the network can affect supply across borders.
At the same time, the Government and NAWEC remain firmly committed to achieving long-term energy security and national self-sufficiency.
In this regard, contracting processes are in their final stages for a major 50MW solar energy project in Soma, alongside several other ongoing generation and transmission projects aimed at reducing reliance on electricity imports and strengthening the resilience of the national grid.
The Government fully recognizes the difficulties customers are currently facing and assures the public that NAWEC technical teams, together with regional partners, are working around the clock to stabilize the system and restore reliable electricity supply as quickly as possible.
This is a difficult but temporary technical challenge occurring at an unfortunate time, and all efforts remain focused on restoring normalcy in the shortest possible period.
The Government of The Gambia thanks the public for its patience, understanding, and continued cooperation.
END
About the Author
