Liberia has officially presented its “National Energy Compact” for financing consideration to the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and other global partners. The submission was made at the Africa Energy Summit, jointly organized by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, the Liberian delegation submitted the proposal on Monday afternoon. The delegation included Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Minister of Mines and Energy Wilmot Paye, Liberia Electricity Corporation Acting Managing Director Thomas Gonkerwon, Liberia Rural Renewable Energy Agency Executive Director Samuel Nagbe, and Deputy Finance Minister for Economic Management Dehpue Zuo.
Liberia is among the first 14 African nations invited to present compact proposals aimed at advancing energy access and infrastructure. Speaking to State Radio ELBC from Dar es Salaam, Minister Ngafuan highlighted the World Bank Group’s partnership with the African Development Bank on “Mission 300,” an initiative to connect 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030. The program seeks to accelerate electrification, promote cleaner energy sources, and drive economic growth and sector reform across the region.
Minister Ngafuan outlined Liberia’s energy compact, which focuses on enhancing infrastructure, expanding access to electricity, and increasing renewable energy capacity. The proposal includes plans to expand transmission and distribution networks, increase utilization of the CLSG regional electricity network, and mobilize private capital for Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) solutions and clean cooking initiatives. Efforts to improve private sector participation and the financial sustainability of utilities are also central to the compact.
The proposal commits to increasing electricity access from the current 70,000 households annually to 100,000, with a goal of providing electricity to 75% of the population by 2030, up from the current 32.7%. It also aims to raise Liberia’s renewable energy share to 75% through hydro resource development, a 20MW solar PV plant at Mt. Coffee, and 70MW of solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) via an independent power purchase model.
Ngafuan emphasized that the compact represents a collaborative effort between Liberia and its development partners to boost the country’s electricity capacity over the next five years.
Meanwhile, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai is expected to join other African leaders at the summit on January 28 to sign a declaration committing to rehabilitating and expanding energy infrastructure, promoting regional integration, and adopting clean energy solutions.
