Gambia: Nawec Explains ‘Frustrating’ Power Cuts

The deputy public relations officer of National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), Buba Badjie, has explained that the shortage of water and power outages is due to a project called the German Electricity Restoration Modernisation Project (GERM) aimed at decongesting the network.

The project involves working on the last mile connection into the grid, which has caused the connection to go down temporarily to stabilise the power supply.

Mr Badjie further explained that the contractor wanted to synchronise the feeders, but most of them were unable to hold as networks were being divided into groups. “Consequently, there was a significant fluctuation in the system, leading to a complete blackout within the GBA that lasted throughout the night. When things were not progressing as expected, the team aborted the job and returned to their system,” he added.

“This issue is not about old or new machines. Let me reiterate. We are working to reduce congestion in our network and improve stability. In the process, we encountered some technical issues, but we were able to resolve them. The water supply is directly linked to the electricity supply. The rental fees are covered by electricity. If we experience a power outage, we will also lose access to water. This is it, and sometimes since most large treatment plants have backup generators, we are actively pumping water.”

Meanwhile, the consumers especially residents of the Greater Banjul Area (GBA) who are mainly experiencing frequent power outages, have expressed their frustrations.

They believed that the issue was as a result of various factors, including ageing infrastructure, power lines and transformers that have not been significantly upgraded for decades resulting in frequent failures and supply disruptions.

They alleged that the limited electricity generation capacity in the country is as a result of mismatch between supply and demand, especially during peak hours.

Apart from these, natural disasters like heavy rains, storms, strong winds, and flooding could also lead to extended periods without electricity, some people believed.

However, according to Mr Badjie, natural calamities are unavoidable which is why “NAWEC is doing everything to ensure that in the next 12 months, the ongoing projects will bring stability to the areas we’re working on.”

“We’re upgrading our substations from 5 to 10 mega watts and ordering 52 new transformers to stabilise the network. This work requires periodic switching off and on, and we expect to see progress soon. Recent unexpected issues were unrelated to our projects and required contractor intervention,” he explained.

Mr. Badjie emphasised that the intermittent issues with electricity and water supply are not due to a lack of capacity, but rather to address existing problems. He urged citizens to be patient, assuring them that these hardships will be resolved and that by 2025, the entire country will have access to electricity.

Babucarr Baldeh, a resident of Bakau, also expressed his frustration over the recent water and power outages. “It is frustrating to live in a country where necessities like electricity and water are constantly unavailable,” he said. The lack of a reliable power supply means living in perpetual darkness and discomfort, while the absence of running water makes simple tasks like cooking, cleaning, and bathing a daily struggle. It is disheartening to see the government prioritise other projects over providing essential services to its citizens.”

Mr Baldeh said a country cannot progress and thrive when they are constantly held back by something as basic as access to electricity and water. He says, “It’s frustrating and demoralizing that we have to endure this every day.”

Fatou Badjie a resident of Kanifing, lamented the hardship faced by NAWEC’s poor supply of water and electricity.

“Our television, deep-freezer and blubs have blown due to NAWEC’s on and off. I don’t know if NAWEC is even concerned about the ordinary citizens. Imagine a whole institute cannot have a stable generator, it’s a call for concern.”

Ms Badjie stated that the recent action of NAWEC is a red flag for the government development plan and it’s concerning that without electricity there won’t be water which is a basic necessity for citizens.

Similarly, Gibril Vilma a resident of Kotu, said: “I can’t really explain how I was feeling honestly. To say I was frustrated and angry is an understatement. I couldn’t sleep during the day thanks to the heat. I had to switch off my electrical appliances to prevent them from being damaged due to the cuts. And yes I couldn’t watch athletics in the Olympics including Gina Bass’s 200m race. I was so angry yesterday.”

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