“No country in the world will develop if there is limited energy supply, and no community can develop with the absent of energy supply. Even the other social services that we are talking about cannot be effectively delivered to the people, in the absence of energy” President Koroma mentioned.
He maintained that the health sector would not thrive without electricity and even education would not develop, pointing out that electricity is the backbone in of economic and the stabilization of sustainable development.
Speaking at the ceremony, the country director of UNOPS Sonja Varga reiterated their support to the government of Sierra Leone in providing renewable energy, adding that they would continue to provide support in that direction.
According to the Minister of Energy, Henry McCauley the six kilowatt solar energy was a way of providing twenty four hour power to the peripheral health unit at Conakry Dee, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom in the Port Loko District, northern Sierra Leone, he added that it was part of the president vision to electrify the whole of Sierra Leone.
Henry McCauley maintained that the electricity production in 2007 was 47 million kilowatts and in 2015 the production has grown to 259 kilowatts per hour and that they have increased again in 2016 to 300 million kilowatts, he uttered that by the end of the year they would reach 400 kilowatts.
The Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Local Government signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure the proper utilization of the facility.
This is part of the rural renewable energy project undertaking by the Ministry of Energy sponsored by UKAID and implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
The commissioning of the six kilowatt solar power plant saw in attendance ministers, parliamentarians and development partners of the government of Sierra Leone.
