The African Development Bank and the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) have jointly launched a cutting-edge Regulatory Information Database Management System (RDBMS) to address regulatory bottlenecks through digitalization.
The RDMBS, a product of the Bank's Africa Energy Sector Technical Assistance Program (AESTAP), is designed to streamline regulatory processes, enhance operational efficiency, and promote transparency within the electricity sector. By automating key performance indicators, the system will enable real-time monitoring of the regulator's service delivery and its financial, technical and commercial performance.
The initiative aligns with broader digitalization efforts spearheaded by the Bank across the continent. Similar interventions are underway in Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and regional bodies such as COMESA, ECOWAS, SADC, and ECCAS. The aim is to foster regional electricity trade and exchanges, in line with the African Union's vision of an integrated African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM).
In his speech, Liberia's Vice-President Jeremiah Koung emphasized the government's commitment to modernizing public institutions and enhancing infrastructure, saying, "This RDMBS is a classic example of our government's commitment to strengthening our public institutions by deploying infrastructure to meet the demands of 21st-century business processes and interactions," Koung added that the government would continue to work with LERC and the Bank to build the capacities of ministries, agencies, and commissions and to link Liberia's national electricity regulatory regime with sub-regional market actors.
Wilmot Paye, Liberia's Minister of Mines and Energy, acknowledged the challenges facing the country's energy sector and expressed gratitude for the Bank's support. He reiterated the ministry's commitment to enhancing regulations, transparency, and accountability to drive sectoral efficiency and attract private sector investments.
"We cannot build a wholesome functioning economy that meets the needs of our people with a fragmented regulatory environment. As a ministry, we will play our leadership role and work with partners to improve and streamline regulations for greater efficiency in the sector", he affirmed.
Dr Lawrence Sekajipo, Chairman of the LERC Board of Commissioners, highlighted the transformative potential of the RDBMS in improving regulatory processes and providing timely information in the electricity sector.
Monie Ralph Captan, CEO of Liberia Electricity Corporation, underscored the critical role of electricity in poverty reduction efforts in Liberia. "The RDBMS, coupled with ongoing Bank support, is instrumental in achieving electricity access and creating an enabling environment for further private sector investments," he said.
Wale Shonibare, the Bank's Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation, emphasized the importance of the RDBMS in establishing clear regulatory frameworks to ensure the financial sustainability of the African energy sector.
Benedict Kanu, the Bank's Country Manager in Liberia, lauded the RDBMS as a timely intervention, demonstrating the Bank's commitment to advancing the energy sector in Africa and aligning with Liberia's national energy strategy. "The digitization initiative under AESTAP further expands the Bank's energy portfolio in Liberia, which currently includes the Renewable Energy for Electrification in Eastern Liberia, The Liberia Energy Efficiency and Access Project, and the Rural Electrification subcomponent of the larger Côte d'Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone-Guinea (CSLG) interconnection project," he added.
The technical assistance support to Liberia aligns with the Bank's New Deal on Energy for Africa, which aims to increase the availability and reliability of energy for socio-economic development.
About AESTAP
The Africa Energy Sector Technical Assistance Program (AESTAP) provides knowledge and technical assistance to support African countries in improving their institutional capacity to formulate sustainable energy solutions and attract public and private sector investments to deliver universal access to modern, affordable, and reliable energy services.
AESTAP funds critical upstream activities under four pillars: Knowledge, Data and Policy Dialogue; Power Sector Policy, Regulation, and Planning; Sustainable Utility Transformation; and Regional Integration and Power Market Trade.
