Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Sierra Leone reaffirmed its leadership in Africa’s energy transition by hosting the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA) Investment Forum 2025 at the Bintumani International Conference Centre in Aberdeen.
Convened under the patronage of President Julius Maada Bio and facilitated by the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF), the forum gathered ministers, senior officials, and international partners to boost renewable energy investments and promote green industrialization.
The forum, led by Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, emphasized turning high-level dialogue into bankable projects, investor commitments, and policy actions aimed at expanding clean, resilient energy access while stimulating local value chains.
Speaking on behalf of President Bio, Dr. Yumkella stressed that Africa’s energy transition must prioritize both development objectives and decarbonization. “Energy access, job creation, and downstream industrialization are as critical as reducing emissions,” he said, highlighting Sierra Leone’s Mission 300 (M300) initiative to raise national electricity access from 36% to 78% by 2030.
As part of this plan, the government aims to install 40 MW of new solar capacity by early next year, with technical and financial support from partners including IRENA and the OPEC Fund.
APRA discussions also focused on building local value chains. Delegates identified Africa’s rich critical minerals as a key opportunity to attract upstream and downstream investment in battery and solar-panel manufacturing, linking resource extraction to local production, skills development, and technology transfer.
Mobilizing capital was another central theme. Dr. Yumkella urged development partners and private investors to increase commitments and called on Sierra Leonean banks to adopt competitive lending terms to unlock domestic investment. The forum highlighted the importance of bankable project pipelines, blending concessional finance with commercial capital, and improving regulatory frameworks to de-risk renewable energy investments.
The forum concluded with a clear mandate: consolidate high-level commitments into time-bound projects, accelerate the 40 MW solar rollout, and advance feasibility studies for manufacturing hubs tied to critical minerals. PI-CREF will coordinate follow-up engagement with partners to translate these commitments into project finance, procurement, and capacity-building initiatives.
Hosting APRA 2025 reinforced Sierra Leone’s position as a growing hub for renewable energy investment in Africa, reflecting President Bio’s commitment to a reform-driven, investment-friendly environment.
With PI-CREF driving implementation, Sierra Leone aims to convert ambitious energy targets into tangible infrastructure, jobs, and industrial growth, demonstrating how energy access, climate resilience, and green industrialization can advance together.
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