By: Saidu Jalloh, Daily Scope Reporter
Progress on Sierra Leone’s $480 million energy compact came under review Tuesday as senior officials from the Millennium Challenge Corporation met with Energy Minister Cyril Arnold Grant to assess ongoing reforms.
Acting Vice President for Compact Operations Africa Alicia Robinson-Morgan led the MCC delegation, which included MCA CEO Ndeye Sesay, MCC Country Director Steven Grudda, and Deputy Country Director Hannah Hoover. The team met at the Ministry of Energy to take stock of institutional changes and service delivery improvements under the program.
Minister Grant said the visit reflected MCC’s continued confidence in Sierra Leone’s reform agenda. He acknowledged the difficulty of the changes but stressed the government’s resolve to cut losses, strengthen governance, and open the sector to private investment.
“Change is difficult, but necessary,” Grant said. “We are determined to build a sector that delivers for the people of Sierra Leone.”
He highlighted two key initiatives with the World Bank: contracting a private operator for the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority and creating a Sector Collection Account to improve revenue management and attract sustainable investment.
Robinson-Morgan said MCC’s priority is building EDSA’s technical and managerial capacity and strengthening the ministry’s planning unit so decisions are guided by data and a clear investment pipeline. She pointed to similar MCC work in Ghana and Senegal as evidence that targeted capacity building helps sustain reforms.
Permanent Secretary Al-Hassan Kondeh described the focus on institutions as timely for meeting reform commitments and improving the sector’s bankability.
Officials agreed to maintain donor coordination and ensure capacity building keeps pace with structural changes. They said advances in energy remain central to the government’s Feed Salone agenda.
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