Recent reports indicate that about 60% of the electricity generated in Liberia is being stolen – severely hampering the extension of the grid.
The Liberia Electricity Corporation speaking on state radio indicated that the loss amounts to about $35m (£27m) each year and prevents further investment.
The issue with the power sector is that most of it was destroyed during the civil war which lasted from 1989 to 2003 and in the recently updated USAID report 832,000 households had no electricity and in rural areas, only 3% had access. It is largely not about cost but access and homes with no legal access tap into any supply they can find as they have no alternative.
This is a classic catch 22 situation with no money to expand the network leading to more illegal connections. Maybe the answer is to open up access to western infrastructure companies who could increase the supply. Given the opportunities for Solar is us sad that in this day and age as many as 975 of people cant switch on a light.
