At Roberts International Airport in Monrovia, regular travellers have noted a quiet revolution: for the last several months, arriving and leaving airport buildings is suddenly a peaceful process. The deafening noise from diesel generators, which used to roar all day long, is no more. They are now sitting idle, replaced by an electrical substation.
The airport now has a continuous supply of electricity, with power cuts becoming increasingly rare. "This is one of the main achievements of the Liberia Energy Efficiency and Access Project (LEEAP)," said Ebrima Bah, project manager at the African Development Bank. "Previously, the airport used diesel generators, which resulted in considerable energy bills."
Launched in 2017, the project was designed to meet the challenge of reviving the electricity sector in Liberia, which has been ravaged by 14 years of socio-political crises that led to the destruction of the country's national grid and the loss of qualified staff. The project was predominantly co-funded by the African Development Bank Group, with the breakdown as follows: $13.34 million from the African Development Fund, $10 million from the Nigeria Trust Fund, $5.95 million from the Transition Support Facility, €10 million from the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund and $2.64 million from the Global Environment Facility.
The report continued: "The LEEAP project has been a very useful project for Liberia in that it has expanded and reinforced the weak and limited transmission and distribution network," stated the Project Completion Report that was published on 3 February 2025 by the African Development Bank Group, Africa's leading development finance institution. "It has provided electricity to communities that were in darkness and brought massive savings and convenience to people who were using generators. The Bank Group has supported the creation of critical infrastructure for the country's overall development."
Electricity access increased from 2 to 35.03 per cent (2024)
In concrete terms, the project has resulted in 39,792 customers including 50 health facilities, 65 academic institutions, 43 public facilities, and 250 small businesses in both Paynesville - the Roberts International Airport (RIA) - Owensgrove Corridor and the Pleebo - Fish Town Corridor getting connected to the electric grid, providing them with an efficient and reliable power supply via the construction and commissioning of a 45-km 66-kilovolt double circuit transmission lines from the Paynesville substation to RIA substationand 980 km 33-kilovolt of distribution network in both Paynesville - RIA - Owensgrove Corridor and the Pleebo - Fish Town Corridor (instead of the 280 kilometres initially planned), as well as the construction of two substations (66/22kV substation at Schefflin and 66/33kV substation at RIA) and the training of 102 professionals and university graduates. The country's largest military hospital, which also serves as a referral hospital, has been connected to the grid as well.
The report continued: "The project significantly contributed to increased access to electricity in Liberia, from two per cent at appraisal and a target of five per cent at the beginning of operations to 35 per cent in 2024 - seven times more than was planned. The impact of electricity is apparent from the number of businesses that have emerged, and the number of social institutions such as schools, health centres, churches and mosques that have been successfully connected."
The LEEAP project has created 1,082 direct jobs and 3,750 indirect jobs, contributing to the development of a skilled workforce in the electricity sector and enhancing the country's technical capacity. It has also promoted sustainable development by providing employment opportunities for women in both technical and non-technical roles, as well as in areas related to environmental and social safeguards. Indirect employment for women includes roles such as food vendors, charcoal sellers, and small-scale traders.
"The project also had a positive impact on girls' education, as testimonies from some project areas indicated that there had been a significant improvement in academic performance and increased enrolment of girls at technical colleges," noted the Bank Group report. "Graduates have started small businesses and women's health has improved, as demonstrated by reduced child mortality rates."
