By: Sidiki Trawally Contributing Writer
For decades, reliable electricity has remained an elusive dream in Liberia, crippling economic growth and undermining national development.
Constant power outages, prohibitive electricity costs, and limited access have paralyzed businesses, endangered healthcare delivery, and left millions in darkness.
This persistent energy crisis hasn’t just stalled industrialization, it has entrenched poverty and isolation in a world where electricity access is fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The statistics tell a sobering story: less than 12% of Liberia’s population has access to grid electricity, with even lower rates in rural areas where many Liberians live.
Those fortunate enough to connect to the grid face some of Africa’s highest tariff rates, nearly $0.22 per kilowatt-hour, almost four times higher than rates in neighboring countries.
For the average Liberian household earning less than $2 per day, electricity remains an unaffordable luxury rather than a basic utility.Businesses operating in Monrovia report losing up to 30% of potential revenue due to power-related disruptions, while manufacturing enterprises run at just 40-60% of capacity due to unreliable energy supply.
This energy deficit, estimated at costing Liberia nearly 2% of its GDP annually, represents perhaps the single greatest impediment to the nation’s post-conflict economic recovery and transformation.
The Devastating Impact of Energy PovertyEconomy Under StrainLiberia’s businesses operate at severe disadvantages, forced to rely on costly, polluting generators that eat into already thin profit margins.
The average business in Liberia spends approximately 35% of operational costs on self-generation of electricity – an unsustainable burden that diverts capital from expansion, innovation, and job creation.
Small and medium enterprises – the true engines of Liberia’s economy – struggle to survive under crushing operational costs, hampering their growth potential and global competitiveness.
In sectors where reliable electricity is non-negotiable, such as cold storage, food processing, and light manufacturing, Liberian businesses face insurmountable barriers to entry and growth.
A recent Chamber of Commerce survey revealed that 67% of small business owners identified electricity constraints as their primary obstacle to expansion.
Foreign investors, wary of the substantial risks posed by unreliable power, redirect their capital elsewhere, perpetuating the cycle of economic stagnation.
Since 2015, Liberia has lost an estimated $300 million in potential foreign direct investment specifically citing energy infrastructure deficiencies as the deciding factor.
Without stable power, Liberia’s vision of industrialization and economic diversification beyond extractive industries remains perpetually on hold.
Beyond economic implications, the human cost is immeasurable.
In hospitals across the country, life-saving equipment sits idle during frequent blackouts.
Critical medical devices – from ventilators to vaccine refrigeration units – fail when needed most, resulting in preventable tragedies.
At JFK Medical Center, Liberia’s largest referral hospital, power fluctuations have damaged sensitive diagnostic equipment worth millions, while emergency surgeries are routinely conducted under mobile phone flashlights during outages.
Maternal mortality rates spike during extended blackouts, with a documented 18% increase in adverse birth outcomes during periods of grid failure.
In classrooms, particularly in rural communities, students learn in the dark, both literally and figuratively.
Without electricity, digital literacy remains unattainable, evening studies impossible, and research capabilities non-existent.
Only 4% of rural schools have reliable power access, significantly limiting teaching methodologies and learning outcomes.
Students from electrified urban centers outperform their rural counterparts by nearly 40% on standardized tests, largely attributed to extended study hours and limited access to digital learning resources.
The education gap widens daily, trapping the next generation in the same cycle of limited opportunity.
Young Liberians without access to reliable electricity find themselves increasingly isolated from the digital economy and global knowledge systems – effectively relegated to the margins of 21st-century opportunities.
Leadership that rises to the challengeA crisis of this magnitude demands not incremental change, but transformational leadership.
Previous administrations have approached Liberia’s energy challenges with piecemeal solutions – temporary diesel generators, limited hydropower expansions, and isolated rural electrification projects, yielding modest improvements that fail to address the fundamental structural deficiencies in the nation’s power ecosystem.
The path forward requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy: first, modernizing critical transmission and distribution infrastructure to reduce the staggering 35% technical losses currently plaguing the system; second, expanding the national grid strategically to connect key economic zones and population centers; and third, pivoting toward a diversified energy mix that leverages Liberia’s abundant natural resources – from hydropower to solar potential and possibly offshore natural gas.
This transformation demands effective international partnerships that bring not just financing but technical expertise.
It requires innovative public-private collaboration models that can mobilize the estimated $1.5 billion in capital needed over the next decade to revolutionize Liberia’s energy landscape.
Most critically, it necessitates forward-thinking regulatory frameworks and governance structures that can foster investment while ensuring affordability and accessibility.
Above all, it requires a leader with the expertise to understand the various complexities, the strategic vision to balance immediate needs with long-term sustainability, and the established networks to marshal resources and build coalitions.
Liberia needs someone who can revitalize the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) – transforming it from a perpetually struggling utility to a modern, efficient service provider capable of powering national development – and stabilize the nation’s power sector for generations to come.Mohamed M. Sherif: The Visionary Leader Liberia Needs Recognizing this urgent imperative, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has made what may prove to be his administration’s most consequential appointment: naming Mr. Mohamed M. Sherif as the new Managing Director of LEC – a decision that signals a pivotal moment for Liberia’s energy future.
With over a decade of proven excellence in regional energy infrastructure development, Mr. Sherif brings unparalleled credentials to this critical role.
His career trajectory reveals a professional who has consistently navigated complex energy challenges across West Africa, building a reputation for technical rigor, institutional leadership, and results-oriented management.
As the founding General Manager of TRANSCO CLSG (Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea), he architected and executed one of West Africa’s most ambitious energy infrastructure projects – a $550 million, 1,303-kilometer transmission backbone spanning four nations with varying regulatory frameworks, technical standards, and political considerations.
Under his leadership, this engineering and diplomatic triumph now delivers reliable electricity to millions across the region, representing the first successful multi-national transmission project of its scale in the ECOWAS zone.
The CLSG project stands as a testament to Mr. Sherif’s exceptional capability: initially projected to take over 8 years to complete, he delivered the energized line in just 6 years despite facing the unprecedented challenges of the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout his tenure, he maintained stringent environmental and social safeguards while managing the resettlement and compensation of over 2,400 project-affected households across four countries—demonstrating his commitment to both infrastructure development and community welfare.
His ability to secure and manage complex financing from multiple international partners—including $144 million from the World Bank, $128 million from the African Development Bank, $84 million from KfW, and $105 million from the European Investment Bank, demonstrates not just technical acumen, but masterful financial stewardship and international credibility.
These institutions’ continued confidence in his leadership is perhaps best evidenced by their willingness to approve additional financing during implementation phases, a rare vote of confidence in the development finance world.
Mr. Sherif’s educational background further reinforces his suitability: holding advanced degrees in Economics and Energy Infrastructure Management, he bridges the critical gap between technical engineering knowledge and financial/economic analysis; precisely the combination needed to transform LEC’s operational and financial performance.
Five Reasons Why Sherif will Transform Liberia’s Energy Landscape1. Proven Track Record in Energy InfrastructureMr. Sherif’s leadership of the landmark CLSG interconnection project, from concept to energization, demonstrates his capacity to deliver results even in challenging environments.
His expertise in managing cross-border energy initiatives uniquely positions him to accelerate Liberia’s national grid expansion with precision and accountability.
What distinguishes Mr. Sherif’s approach is his demonstrated ability to balance ambitious infrastructure goals with pragmatic implementation.
At TRANSCO CLSG, he pioneered innovative approaches to complex engineering challenges, including developing specialized transmission tower designs for Liberia’s difficult terrain and implementing advanced protection schemes to ensure system stability across national boundaries.
His hands-on engagement with technical specifications saved the project an estimated $42 million while enhancing system reliability.
Perhaps most relevant to his new role at LEC, Mr. Sherif has direct experience with Liberia’s unique energy landscape through his oversight of CLSG’s Liberian component, which included five substations and 530 km of transmission lines specifically engineered for Liberia’s geographical and technical environment.2. Strategic Vision for Energy IndependenceWith a clear roadmap to transition from costly heavy fuel generation to cleaner, more sustainable alternatives, particularly gas thermal energy, Mr. Sherif offers Liberia a path to energy sovereignty. This strategic pivot will reduce dependence on seasonal hydropower and expensive electricity imports, ensuring year-round energy security.
His vision for Liberia’s energy future is comprehensive yet realistic: beginning with the stabilization of existing generation and transmission assets, followed by strategic expansion of hydropower capacity at sites like Via Reservoir and Gbedin Falls, and culminating in the development of a diversified energy portfolio that balances base-load thermal generation with renewable sources.
Mr. Sherif has already drafted preliminary frameworks for a national energy master plan that would increase Liberia’s domestic generation capacity from the current 126 MW to over 300 MW within five years, while simultaneously reducing the cost per kilowatt-hour from $0.22 to approximately $0.16 through economies of scale and more efficient generation technologies.
His approach accounts for seasonal variations in hydropower output and incorporates modern energy storage solutions to enhance grid stability.
3. Financial Expertise to Restore ViabilityAs an economist with extensive project finance experience, Mr. Sherif brings critical financial discipline to LEC.
His proven success in securing international funding and managing large-scale project budgets will be instrumental in restoring LEC’s financial health and establishing long-term sustainability.
The financial challenges facing LEC are staggering: the utility currently operates at a significant loss, approximately in millions annually, with commercial losses exceeding 35% due to theft, non-payment, and inefficient billing systems.
Mr. Sherif’s experience in financial restructuring at TRANSCO CLSG – where he implemented robust financial management systems that received unqualified audit opinions for nine consecutive years, provides a proven template for transforming LEC’s financial operations.His proposed financial recovery plan for LEC includes targeted investments in technical loss reduction, comprehensive metering infrastructure to reduce theft, implementation of digital payment systems to enhance revenue collection, and strategic renegotiation of power purchase agreements to reduce wholesale energy costs – all approaches he successfully implemented at a regional scale with TRANSCO CLSG.
4. Powerful Regional and International NetworksFew leaders in West Africa possess Mr. Sherif’s depth of relationships within regional bodies like the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and ECOWAS, or with global financial institutions such as the World Bank and major infrastructure financiers. These connections represent ready-made channels for technical assistance and financial support crucial to Liberia’s energy transformation.Mr. Sherif’s network extends beyond institutional relationships to include personal professional connections with key decision-makers across the energy finance ecosystem.
As a regular presenter at regional energy conferences and a respected voice in the West African power sector development, he maintains active dialogue with potential investors and development partners essential to financing Liberia’s energy transformation.
5. Customer-Centric Operational FocusMr. Sherif understands that a reliable delivery service is the ultimate measure of success. Under his leadership, expect a fundamental shift toward operational excellence, reduced outages, and responsive customer service – making LEC an institution that truly serves Liberian businesses and households.
At TRANSCO CLSG, Mr. Sherif implemented rigorous performance metrics and customer service protocols that resulted in 99.7% availability rates across the transmission network, an exceptional achievement for a multi-national system operating in challenging environments. His approach to utility management emphasizes transparent communication with customers, proactive maintenance rather than reactive repairs, and intensive staff training to build a culture of service excellence.
His initial assessment of LEC has already identified critical operational weaknesses, including inadequate maintenance protocols, insufficient technical training for field staff, and outdated fault detection systems.
His preliminary 100-day plan includes implementation of a rapid response maintenance program, development of a comprehensive staff capacity building initiative, and deployment of modern grid management technologies to reduce outage frequency and duration by an estimated 40% within the first year.
The Dawn of a New Energy EraWith Mr. Sherif at the helm, Liberians can finally expect pragmatic, results-driven leadership in the power sector.
His record at TRANSCO CLSG demonstrates his capacity to overcome entrenched challenges, build sustainable infrastructure, and deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives.
The timing of this appointment is particularly significant as Liberia stands at a critical crossroads.
The country’s Mt. Coffee Hydropower Plant, rehabilitated at a cost of $357 million in 2018, continues to operate below capacity and suffers seasonal fluctuations that leave the grid vulnerable.
Concurrently, the existing power purchase agreements with Côte d’Ivoire are set to expire within 18 months, requiring strategic renegotiation.
These immediate challenges demand leadership with both technical understanding and diplomatic finesse; precisely, Mr. Sherif’s demonstrated strengths.
Looking beyond these immediate concerns, the long-term implications of this appointment become even more profound.
Under the right leadership, Liberia’s energy sector could transition from a perpetual liability to a potential economic driver. With its considerable hydropower potential – estimated at over 2,300 MW – Liberia could evolve from energy importer to regional power exporter, generating revenue while simultaneously meeting domestic needs.
Mr. Sherif’s familiarity with regional power markets and cross-border energy trade positions him uniquely to realize this transformative vision.
This appointment transcends ordinary bureaucratic reshuffling, it represents President Boakai’s strategic investment in Liberia’s energy future and signals his administration’s commitment to addressing the most fundamental infrastructure challenge facing the nation.
His selection of a technically qualified, internationally respected professional over political appointees demonstrates a commitment to meritocracy and results that should reassure both Liberian citizens and international partners.With the right leader now in place, coupled with sustained political commitment, inclusive stakeholder engagement across the energy ecosystem, and strategic investment in both physical and institutional infrastructure, Liberia stands at the threshold of an energy revolution that could fundamentally alter its development trajectory.
The transformative journey toward reliable, affordable electricity has begun, and with Mohamed M. Sherif leading this critical mission, Liberia is positioned to finally illuminate its path to prosperity – permanently.
As the lights come across Monrovia, rural communities, schools, hospitals, and businesses, the nation’s long energy nightmare may finally be approaching its end, replaced by the bright promise of a powered, productive future.
Written By: Sidiki Trawally Contributing Writer
