By: Musa Kamara
Following the successful Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (CRET 2025), Sierra Leone once again took center stage in Africa’s clean energy transformation by hosting the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA) Investment Forum 2025 at the Bintumani International Conference Centre in Freetown on Thursday 23rd October 2025 at Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown.
Convened under the global patronage of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, the landmark event was facilitated by the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security (PI-CREF). Under the visionary leadership of Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, PI-CREF has become a catalytic driver of strategic dialogues and investment opportunities in Sierra Leone.
Dr. Yumkella, speaking on behalf of President Bio, welcomed over seven ministers and high-level dignitaries from across Africa, along with international development partners. He emphasized the importance of APRA as a unifying platform to accelerate renewable energy investments across the continent.
“Energy transition for us in Africa is about more than decarbonization; it’s about development,” Dr. Yumkella stated. “Our energy access remains low, and we must quadruple it. We need all our resources—solar, hydro, and critical minerals—to build resilient energy infrastructure and attract large-scale investments.”
He further stressed that the focus of energy transition discussions should extend beyond just energy generation to include value addition and green industrialization. This, he argued, would ensure that energy expansion directly contributes to job creation, innovation, and economic transformation.
Dr. Yumkella also highlighted Sierra Leone’s ambitious national agenda, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the Mission 300 (M300) initiative. This flagship energy expansion plan, endorsed by the World Bank and African Development Bank, aims to raise national energy access from 36% to 78% by 2030.
“Our projects are clear, and we are moving fast,” Dr. Yumkella noted. “By early next year, we expect to install 40MW of new solar energy capacity. With support from partners such as IRENA and the OPEC Fund, we are using the latest global tools and platforms to deliver on our targets.”
He also pointed to Africa’s vast reserves of critical minerals as an opportunity to attract investment in battery and solar panel manufacturing, positioning the continent as a potential hub for renewable energy technologies.
Dr. Yumkella urged investors to have confidence in Sierra Leone’s reform-driven environment and to seize the opportunities presented by the nation’s energy transition.
During a Ministerial Debate on Boosting Energy Transition and Green Industrialization in APRA Countries, Dr. Yumkella reinforced the need for greater financial commitments and innovative partnerships to unlock Africa’s renewable energy potential. He also called on banks in Sierra Leone to consider lowering interest rates to encourage investment in the energy sector.
The APRA Investment Forum 2025 marked another milestone in Sierra Leone’s journey toward sustainable energy security, reaffirming President Bio’s leadership in championing the country’s energy transition, climate resilience, and green growth agenda. PI-CREF continues to serve as the driving force propelling this vision into tangible progress.