Gambia President Adama Barrow has asked citizens to remain composed amid prolonged power cuts, noting that the nation is not isolated in confronting an electricity crisis affecting multiple West African regions.
The remarks follow Monday‑night demonstrations in Banjul and nearby districts, where residents reported blackouts lasting up to four days and demanded resolution.
“When you lie down in the heat and the dark, believe that you are not alone in that darkness,” Barrow said, reaffirming his pledge to accelerate power supply restoration by next month.
To offset domestic generation challenges, The Gambia relies heavily on imported electricity, sourcing supplemental units from neighboring Guinea and Senegal.
Since June, the country has grappled with intermittent outages, a situation that has intensified during the current warm season as rising temperatures sharply increase electricity consumption.
Anger erupted on Monday night when crowds flocked to the streets of Banjul and adjoining zones, setting fire to tires and obstructing routes over the extended power failures.
Authorities deployed tear gas in the Westfield district as demonstrators pressed toward the headquarters of the national electricity company, Nawec, who repeatedly shouted “Barrow must go.”
Later, protesters gathered outside Vice President’s residence in Farato, where banners from Barrow’s ruling National People’s Party were defaced.
The upheaval occurs weeks before the upcoming December presidential election, in which Barrow seeks a controversial third term.
During a televised address Thursday night, Barrow acknowledged the suffering wrought by blackouts but warned against damage to public assets, urging a focus on repair costs rather than further disruption.
“Let us not destroy in a moment of anger what we suffered so long to gain,” he stated.
The President admitted gaps in planning, generation and maintenance, labeling the outages both a “national security issue” and an emergency requiring immediate action.
A 24‑megawatt generator installation at the Brikama plant is under commissioning ahead of the end of next month.
Additionally, a contract has been awarded for a 50 MW solar array in Soma, though a specific completion timeline remains undisclosed.
“For a system of our scale, this is substantial capacity—enough to bring meaningful relief to households across the country,” Barrow reassured listeners.
Earlier today, Barrow inspected facilities supporting the national energy company and promised that new generators would arrive this week.
Gallo Saidy, head of Nawec, appealed for patience, citing reduced imports from the regional grid due to this year’s lower rainfall as contributing factors.
“The regional network supplied less electricity this year because of lower rainfall compared with previous years,” the official explained.
“To put things in perspective, for a country of our size a 50‑megawatt solar facility represents a transformative amount of energy, able to significantly light up home lives throughout The Gambia.” Barrow highlighted the broader implications.
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