Monrovia — Liberia's electricity sector is poised for its most ambitious transformation since the civil war, as Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) Managing Director Mohammed M. Sherif unveiled a €1.6 billion investment roadmap aimed at expanding nationwide access, modernizing infrastructure, and restoring public trust in the state utility.
"We are no longer in crisis stabilization mode," Sherif declared at the Liberia-EU Business Forum in Brussels. "We want a strategic partnership, including an infrastructure partnership. The Liberia Electricity Corporation is investment-ready."
The high-level forum provided Liberia an opportunity to formally engage European partners on trade, investment, and development cooperation, positioning the country as a destination for long-term infrastructure partnerships.
A €1.6 Billion Reform Blueprint
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Sherif said the proposed investment portfolio will accelerate growth and self-reliance across LEC's generation, transmission, and distribution networks, while strengthening infrastructure resilience.
The plan focuses on four key pillars: digital transformation, governance reform, revenue recovery, and large-scale infrastructure expansion.
"We don't want to be firefighting," Sherif said. "We want predictive maintenance. Once we go smart grid, we sit in our offices and know what is happening."
First-Ever Modern Grid Monitoring System
For the first time in Liberia's history, LEC will deploy a modern Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to manage the national grid.
"The first time in Liberia that we will have this modern SCADA system to help us with our national dispatch center," Sherif said. "The SCADA helps us clearly see what is happening on the grid."
The system will enable real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance and faster outage response. The digital shift will also include smart automation tools and customer platforms.
"We want an LEC where you take your telephone, download the app, send your complaint, and get a reply," he said. "Digital transformation will reduce human bottlenecks."
$50 Million Smart Meter Initiative
Sherif disclosed that the Government of Liberia has allocated $50 million in the national budget for smart metering -- the first such capital injection in post-war Liberia's history.
"The government put $50 million in the budget," he said. "All those will help."
The smart meter rollout is aimed at reducing commercial losses and improving cost recovery. LEC has intensified anti-power theft operations, including nighttime enforcement.
"We have been able to arrest 251 people," Sherif revealed, noting that revenue recovery efforts are already yielding results.
Rebuilding Public Confidence
Sherif acknowledged that customer trust in LEC has declined over the years.
"LEC had eroded customer confidence," he admitted, citing delays in meter installations and weak customer service response.
He emphasized that governance reforms, board oversight, and measurable performance benchmarks will be central to restoring accountability and service delivery standards.
Nationwide Electrification Push
Sherif rejected what he described as "pocket access" to electricity.
"Electrification should be nationwide," he said. "We go by plan, and it is aligned with the compact."
Under rural electrification efforts, LEC has installed approximately 3,900 streetlights across counties including Bong, Nimba and Montserrado, improving visibility and reducing security concerns in previously dark communities.
Some areas, he noted, had gone without electricity for more than 40 years.
LEC is also targeting central and northwestern Liberia through expanded transmission lines, including a proposed double-circuit 66kV line from Botota through Lofa County.
Hydropower as Long-Term Anchor
A major component of the reform agenda is hydropower expansion, including the long-discussed Mankoffa (SP2) project and additional St. John River developments.
"Mankoffa is an intergenerational project," Sherif said. "We should think beyond a particular regime."
Preliminary studies estimate potential output at up to 250 megawatts, with projected costs between €600 million and €620 million.
Sherif stressed that strengthening domestic base-load capacity will reduce reliance on imported electricity from Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea, insulating Liberia from regional supply disruptions.
"These are sovereign-scale development assets," he said. "We need low-cost renewable base load for decades."
Industrial Growth and Economic Impact
Sherif linked electricity expansion directly to economic transformation, including the proposed Monrovia Industrial Park, which could require up to 85 megawatts of dedicated supply.
"Installing a substation there will unlock that entire economic activity," he said.
He further highlighted the importance of electrifying agricultural hubs such as Lofa County, describing it as Liberia's "food basket," and positioning Liberia as a regional energy and trade player.
Aligning with Global Development Goals
Sherif said the reform plan aligns with the European Union's Global Gateway strategy, Mission 300 electrification targets, and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to health, food security, infrastructure, and job creation.
"We need to go to 75 percent electrification," he said. "It is consistent with the global gateway the EU is targeting."
A Call for Strategic Partnerships
With total funding requirements estimated at $1.6 billion, Sherif made a direct appeal to investors, development finance institutions, and international partners.
"We are open," he said. "We have a PPP framework. It becomes a win-win for all of us."
For a country where power outages remain routine and access uneven, Sherif's message was clear: Liberia is moving beyond crisis management toward structured, investment-driven transformation.
"We don't want incremental fixes," he said. "We predict. We plan. And we deliver."
The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) is Liberia's state-owned power utility, responsible for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity across the country.
Establishment and Early Years
LEC was created in 1973 by an Act of the National Legislature to provide affordable and reliable electricity to Liberia. Before the civil war, the corporation operated hydro and thermal plants that supplied power mainly to Monrovia and surrounding areas.
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Post-War Reconstruction
After 2006, efforts began to rebuild the power sector with support from international partners including the World Bank, the European Union, the African Development Bank, USAID, and others.
A major milestone was the rehabilitation and reopening of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant in 2016-2018, restoring domestic hydro generation capacity and reducing reliance on costly thermal generation.
LEC also became part of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), enabling Liberia to import electricity from neighboring countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea.
Current Mandate
Today, LEC's mandate includes generating electricity (hydro and thermal sources), importing power through regional interconnections, transmitting electricity nationwide, distributing power to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers, and expanding access through rural electrification.
Despite progress, challenges remain, including limited nationwide coverage, high technical and commercial losses, aging infrastructure in some areas, revenue collection gaps, and the need for large-scale capital investment.
Reform and Expansion Phase
The LEC, under Sherif, is currently pursuing sector reforms focused on digital transformation (smart metering, SCADA systems), revenue recovery and anti-power theft enforcement, public-private partnerships (PPP), hydropower expansion projects, and rural electrification and grid expansion.
The corporation plays a critical role in Liberia's economic growth, industrial development, healthcare delivery, education, and national security, as electricity access remains central to the country's development agenda.
