By Awa Sowe
The Managing Director of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has disclosed that NAWEC is now equipped to independently meet The Gambia’s electricity demand.
Mr Galloh Saidy recently made this disclosure at a press conference held at the NAWEC’s Jabang Substation as they ended a seven-year contract with the Turkish Karpowership. The Karpowership had been providing emergency and supplementary power through a floating power plants that anchor at a harbour, plug into a grid and generate electricity with heavy fuel or natural gas at Banjul Port.
Mr Saidy outlined the decision not to renew the contract as part of a broader strategy to shift toward self-reliance and more affordable energy sources. Affirming that NAWEC has since 2nd May 2025, formally concluded its power supply agreement with Karpowership, making the end of a seven-year partnership that began in 2018.
“We can only have true energy security by generating power from our own system, with the government’s support and the trust of the Gambian people we are more stable than yesterday,” said Mr. Saidy.
He further mentioned that the termination of the deal aligns with NAWEC’s long-term energy transition strategy, bolstered by key infrastructure investments such as new generation plants and regional interconnection through the organisation for the Development of The Gambia River Basin (OMVG) network.
Karpowership, which had been supplying approximately 28 percent of the country’s electricity, began operations in The Gambia in 2018. Mr. Saidy emphasized that NAWEC’s recent acquisition of multiple generators including units purchased in 2018 and 2020 along with increased power from the OMVG grid and renewable energy projects, will more than offset the exit of the Turkish provider. “Karpower leaving today is not the end of the world. We are okay now,” he assured.
While affirming confidence in NAWEC’s current capacity, Mr. Saidy acknowledged persistent challenges in the national grid, particularly at the distribution level. “Some transformers are overloaded due to high demand.
“There is a plan in place to replace all the overloaded systems and upgrade the network,” he informed.
The company is also looking to diversify its energy mix and expand cross-border electricity trade. “We are now drawing power from Conakry and Senegal, and soon from Abidjan. Our solar plant in Jambur is also online,” Mr. Saidy highlighted.
He added that NAWEC aims to become a net power exporter in the long term. “We’ll buy from whoever offers the cheapest rate.”
Despite recent localised power fluctuations, Mr. Saidy insisted that there had been no national blackout since Friday, adding that the variations being experienced are not unusual.
NAWEC’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr Pateh Sowe resonated the managing director’s optimism. He said the country’s transmission capacity has improved significantly, though he acknowledged weaknesses remain in the distribution system.
“The system is 50 percent more reliable than before, the 225MW OMVG line currently covers only 18 kilometers, but it’s just the beginning. We are steadily addressing distribution issues,” Sowe explained.
Mr. Sowe cautioned that power supply remains a dynamic challenge even in developed countries, referencing recent outages in Spain and Portugal. “These things happen and they can happen anywhere, even in our country,” he argued.
