An article published by Open Gambia yesterday has outlined what it describes as the key reasons for the recent electricity supply challenges facing The Gambia. These include payment arrears, regional supply constraints, lack of local generation capacity and what it calls poor strategic decisions by the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC). Payment Delays and Rising Debt According to Open Gambia, NAWEC has struggled in recent years to meet its payment obligations to regional power suppliers. Delays are said to average between 150 to 170 days. The publication says since 2022, the utility has consistently failed to honor contractual payment timelines with Senegal’s Senelec, Guinea’s Electricity Company (EDG) and Turkish power provider Karpowership.
The report blames the situation on financial management issues and a growing demand for electricity fueled by expanded access to power across the country. It notes that since the end of the Karpowership contract, NAWEC has become overly reliant on imported power from neighboring countries.
Open Gambia further alleges that NAWEC owes Senelec close to $80 million, with some of the debt dating back over six months, and that payments to EDG for 2026 are still pending. The publication suggests these unpaid debts have played a major role in the decline of electricity supplies from regional partners.
- 1. Regional Supply Constraints
The report notes that electricity imports from Senelec and EDG are transmitted through the 225-kilovolt OMVG regional transmission network.
Open Gambia says Senelec is currently under pressure on its own electricity system as maintenance works are affecting key generation assets including Karpowership and Malika Power Plant. The publication claims Senelec has reduced electricity exports to The Gambia, reportedly supplying between 15 and 20 megawatts instead of the higher levels NAWEC often asks for. The report also highlights seasonal challenges affecting Guinea’s hydropower production. EDG’s export of electricity to The Gambia and other neighboring countries is constrained by the reduction of hydroelectricity production during the dry season, and the current heatwave in Senegal has added further pressure on the system due to increased demand for electricity.
Open Gambia states that EDG is not supplying power to NAWEC currently, citing both reduced hydropower production and pending invoice payments.
2. Concerns About Local Generation Capability
The publication also queries NAWEC’s decision not to renew its contract with Karpowership in May 2025. Open Gambia says the strategy was based on the rehabilitation of older generators and increasing reliance on electricity imports from neighbouring countries.
The report alleges that a single-source procurement process led to the award of an operations and maintenance contract for some generators, with a total installed capacity of 52.8 megawatts, to Unique Energy.
Open Gambia claims the company lacked prior experience in operations and maintenance services and has been unable to restore the generators to their intended capacity. According to the report, only a fraction of the expected generation output has been achieved, leaving the country vulnerable to power shortages when imported electricity supplies decline.
3. Criticism of Management Decisions
Open Gambia argues that the decision to end the Karpowership agreement before fully testing alternative arrangements represented a major strategic miscalculation by NAWEC’s management, Board of Directors, and relevant oversight institutions.
While scaling back on costly emergency power may have seemed a smart financial decision, the publication argues, there was not enough emphasis placed on ensuring the reliable availability of electricity during the transition.
The report says the current load-shedding and power cuts being endured across the country are due to a mix of factors including reduced imports, aging local infrastructure and delays in restoring generating capacity.
4. Public frustration is growing
Open Gambia concludes that the ongoing electricity outages are leading to increasing public frustration, which could have wider economic and political implications if not resolved quickly.
The publication says Gambians have become used to more reliable electricity in recent years and warns that prolonged outages risk undermining public confidence in both NAWEC and the government.
The claims and assessments in the report are the views of Open Gambia and have not been independently verified by this publication.
