Mohammed M. Sherif, the Acting Managing Director of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), has assured the public that the days of prolonged power outages are coming to an end.
Sherif said he has taken immediate steps to reduce load shedding and outlined an ambitious five-year vision for sustainable electricity supply, aligned with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s development agenda.
He made these remarks in a wide-ranging interview on OK FM Morning Show on Monday, in which he also thanked the President, Energy sector leaders and LEC staff and their respective contributions to recent improvements in service delivery.
“I can tell you, LEC is on a new path,” he said. “We are realigning with the national ARREST Agenda. President Boakai entrusted me with this responsibility, and I’m here to deliver results. I want to thank him, Energy Minister Wilmot Paye, our Board of Directors, and especially the hardworking team at LEC—what I call the crème de la crème. About 95 to 96 percent of our workforce are Liberians, and they are committed and ready to work.”
Sherif joined LEC, following a nearly twelve-year stint as the founding General Manager of TRANSCO-CLSG (Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone-Guinea). In that role, he oversaw a $550 million energy infrastructure project to install a 1,303-kilometer electricity transmission backbone spanning the four member states of the Mano River Union.
Firefighting
Sherif did not inherit a functional system. Just last February, this paper reported a power shortage crisis that saw Liberia retain just fifteen percent of its power imports from Côte d’Ivoire. The supplier, Compagnie Ivoirienne d’Électricité (CIE), slashed Liberia’s power supply from 50 to just 7.5 megawatts (MW), due to critical maintenance and production challenges in the neighboring country.
Besides drawing public outcry in the face of rising fuel prices, the shortage also served to highlight the dismal state of Liberia’s own domestic power generation capacity. Nearly all our plants are in partial or complete disrepair.
The Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant, rehabilitated in 2018 with an installed capacity of 88 megawatts, was the flagship project of then-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s second term. Due to the lack of maintenance in the intervening period, one unit is down and will take approximately 12 months to repair. As such, about 66 megawatts are available—only half of which can be generated, in the absence of full rainy season flows, Sherif said.
The Bushrod Island power plants—including the units installed with funding from the Japanese and Liberian governments, respectively—are also undergoing repairs. Once back online, these could contribute an additional 15.5 megawatts.
It is, then, no surprise that Sherif likened his first month in office to a firefight. “When you see a house on fire, you don’t sit and analyze what caused it. You put it out. That’s what we did. We took immediate steps to reduce load shedding,” he said.
Since taking the helm of LEC in early April, he resolved to immediately tackle load shedding, which had become a major source of frustration for communities across Monrovia and its environs. “When I took over, LEC was spending between 8 to 12 hours in load shedding. Communities were going without power for hours while others had it for only a few,” he recalled.
But aging infrastructure was not the only problem. Vandalism, technical losses, and widespread electricity theft continue to plague the system.
Sherif also highlighted the impact of inefficient policies, processes, and institutional arrangements on the quality of power supply in the country.
“The sector has suffered years of underinvestment. And even when donor support is available, delays in decision-making—just a day or two—can set you back months. That’s why we’ve made agility a core part of our leadership philosophy,” he said.
Sherif stressed the urgent need for policy alignment, tariff reform, and smart metering systems. “These are part of the medium- to long-term reforms we are pursuing. Without cost-reflective tariffs and efficient revenue collection, the system won’t be financially viable,” he explained.
Imports and repairs continue
Sherif laid out a multi-pronged strategy to stabilize Liberia’s power supply. In the short term, his team focused on optimizing available generation capacity, repairing dormant infrastructure, and leveraging regional power connections.
Liberia is heavily reliant on power imports from Côte d’Ivoire through the CLSG (Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone-Guinea) transmission line. “We’ve been taking up to 45 to 50 mégawatts from Côte d’Ivoire daily,” Sherif said.
He also expects power from Guinea to come online imminently, adding, “I just received the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) from Guinea this morning. Once we sign it, hopefully this weekend, Guinea will begin supplying 30 megawatts.”
According to Sherif, with Guinea’s supply added to the current mix, Liberia will have access to approximately 130 megawatts of electricity—enough to temporarily shut down the Bushrod thermal units and save fuel costs. “That’s our strategy,” he explained. “We’ll use regional supply to stabilize our domestic grid and focus on repairs.”
The public’s role in sustainability
Sherif acknowledged that public satisfaction with the recent improvements in electricity availability has been high. “People are excited. The past two weeks have seen constant electricity in many areas,” he said.
However, he struck a note of caution. “Let me be clear,” he said. “I don’t want you to quote me saying there will be no load shedding. The energy sector is dynamic. Circumstances can change quickly. More importantly, power that is coming in—whether from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, or our own plants—is not free. It must be paid for.”
He used the moment to urge consumers to pay for electricity—and to vow that violators will face consequences. “If you are enjoying your electricity—running ACs and lights—yet bypassing the meter or not buying tokens, you are putting the entire system at risk. We will come to those communities. We will enforce payment.”
Sherif also shared his long-term vision, which he said aligns fully with President Boakai’s ARREST Agenda.
“When I met the President, he said, ‘There is no reason why every Liberian shouldn’t have access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity by the end of my first term.’ And I agree with him 100 percent,” Sherif recalled.
“My vision is to see every household, every business in Liberia, not just connected to electricity, but enjoying quality, uninterrupted power supply within five years,” he said. “We are not just about expanding access—we’re about sustainability.”
As Liberia moves into the rainy season and with regional power sources coming online, Sherif said he remains hopeful—but realistic.
“We are doing our part. But we need the public to do theirs—pay for power, report illegal connections, and support us. The more we collect, the more we can invest in improving the system.”
Sherif closed the interview with an expression of confidence in the team at LEC. “This isn’t a one-man show.” He said.” We have dedicated engineers, planners, technicians, and managers—95% of them Liberians—working every day to power this country.
“They are willing to work, stay extra hours, and deliver—once the right leadership is provided. That’s what we’re doing,” he said.
