By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
Sierra Leone is fast emerging as one of Africa’s most promising destinations for renewable energy investment, following the successful hosting of the accelerated partnership for renewables in Africa (APRA) investment forum 2025 at the Bintumani International conference centre in Freetown.
The two-day event held under the distinguished patronage of President Julius Maada Bio, brought together African energy ministers, investors, and development partners to chart practical pathways for accelerating clean energy access and green industrialization across the continent.
Organized by the presidential Initiative on climate change, renewable ferry, and Food Security (PI-CREF), and led by Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, the forum marked a major milestone in Sierra Leone’s growing reputation as a reform-driven country with pragmatic and inclusive energy policies.
Dr. Yumkella, who chaired the sessions on behalf of President Bio, stressed that Africa’s energy transition must serve both economic and social goals.
We must ensure that Africa’s energy transition is not only about reducing carbon emissions but also about creating jobs, supporting industries, and ensuring universal access,” he said, he also called on domestic financial institutions to play a stronger role in the renewable energy ecosystem.
Our local banks must see renewable energy as a growth sector not a risk. If we want to empower communities and small industries, we must unlock domestic financing for energy entrepreneurs,” he emphasized.
A key theme of the forum was value-chain development, with discussions focusing on how Africa can link its critical minerals such as lithium and rare earths to clean technology manufacturing, including solar panels and batteries, experts agreed that localizing production would create jobs, promote technology transfer, and strengthen Africa’s competitiveness in the global green economy.
At the heart of Sierra Leone’s presentation was mission 300 (M300) an ambitious national plan to expand electricity access from the current 36 percent to 78 percent by 2030, the strategy prioritizes the rapid deployment of renewable infrastructure, including the installation of 40 megawatts of new solar capacity by early 2026, supported by partners such as the international renewable energy agency (IRENA) and the OPEC fund for international development.
The forum concluded with key outcomes, including commitments to, accelerate the rollout of 40 MW solar projects, initiate feasibility studies for clean manufacturing hubs; and strengthen regulatory and procurement frameworks to attract private investors, PI-CREF will coordinate follow-up actions to ensure measurable progress within the next 12 months.
By successfully hosting APRA 2025, Sierra Leone has reaffirmed its leadership in renewable energy and climate resilience, while positioning itself as a catalyst for Africa’s sustainable development as global demand for clean energy continues to rise, Sierra Leone’s forward-looking policies and institutional leadership are setting the stage for a green, inclusive, and investment-friendly economy proving that even a small nation can deliver a big message Africa’s energy future can be clean, inclusive, and driven from within.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 27 October 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
