Gambia Faces Power Supply Test as 241 Communities Get Electricity

The Gambia is extending electricity to 241 communities, but its national utility has warned that new connections must be matched with enough power supply.

The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) signed a $14 million contract on September 25, 2026, for the work in Central River Region (CRR) and Upper River Region (URR).

The project will install about 377 kilometres of medium-voltage lines and 219 distribution transformers across the two regions.

The contract is part of the Additional Rural Electrification Project and was signed at the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines in Brusubi.

NAWEC Deputy Managing Director Momodou Lamin Sompo Ceesay said expanding access alone would not solve the country's electricity problem.

“However, expanding access must go hand in hand with ensuring adequate generation and reliable supply,” Ceesay said.

He said NAWEC is working with the government and other partners to increase local power generation, reinforce transmission and distribution networks, improve reliability and strengthen supply security.

377km of electricity lines

The $14 million contract was awarded through international competitive bidding to Alpha TND and Power Factor.

Alpha TND will handle Lot 1, covering 148 communities in CRR.

The company is expected to construct about 223 kilometres of medium-voltage lines and 165 kilometres of low-voltage lines.

The work will cover Lower and Upper Fuladu, Sami, Niani, Nyamina East and Nyamina West.

Alpha TND Project Manager Animesh said the company would aim for quality work and timely delivery.

“We always strive to believe in delivering quality and on-time delivery,” he said.

Power Factor will handle Lot 2 in URR, covering 93 communities.

Its work will include medium- and low-voltage networks, poles, distribution transformers, conductors and aerial bundled cables.

The project will cover Sandu, Wuli, Tumana, Kantora, Basse and Jimara.

Power Factor In-Country Coordinator Eluwore Leke James said the project would support businesses, education and healthcare.

“It is about connecting communities, supporting businesses, improving education and healthcare, creating opportunities,” James said.

Government wants 12-month completion

The contract has an 18-month duration, but Petroleum, Energy and Mines Minister Nani Juwara said the government expects construction to finish within 12 months.

The minister said the project is fully funded through The Gambia's national budget.

He said residents in the two regions asked not to be left out after the government inaugurated electricity access projects covering 719 communities nationwide in February 2026.

Juwara said the government also signed a contract with TBEA, supported by Chinese funding, to electrify more than 40 communities in the Greater Banjul Area.

He also said The Gambia had secured an additional $50 million from the World Bank for the remaining communities without electricity nationwide.

The minister told the contractors to deliver quality work on schedule and employ young people from the two regions under their local content obligations.

He also instructed NAWEC to supervise the construction and ensure technical standards are met.

The new project is part of The Gambia's wider attempt to achieve universal electricity access by 2027, ahead of the global 2030 target.

Earlier projects under JAM, JEEP and ECOREEP covered more than 700 communities nationwide, with support from the World Bank, European Union, European Investment Bank, African Development Bank and ECOWAS.

The new work will extend the electricity network, but NAWEC says the expansion also creates a need for more generation and dependable supply.

Ceesay said the utility is engaging the government and other partners on local generation, transmission, distribution and system reliability.

He also acknowledged customer expectations as electricity access expands.

“As the national electricity and water utility, NAWEC will not relent in improving its performance, strengthening its systems and planning for the future,” he said.

The immediate task, for the 241 communities covered by the new contract, is construction of the network.

The project also brings the task of ensuring there is enough electricity to use that network once the connections are completed.