By: Binta Jaiteh &Jankay Kujabi
The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) on Tuesday announced the introduction of load shedding in the Kanifing Municipality and the West Coast Region, citing rising global fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.
The announcement was made at a press conference at NAWEC headquarters, where officials said instability involving Iran and Israel has led to a sharp increase in fuel costs, directly affecting electricity generation in The Gambia.
NAWEC officials said the load shedding exercise will be implemented nationwide, with power outages expected to last several hours depending on demand and fuel supply conditions. They described the measure as temporary but necessary to manage limited resources while efforts continue to stabilize supply.
NAWEC Subject Matter Specialist Sanna Gomez said the company currently lacks the capacity to meet national demand.
“The current available capacity is about 78 megawatts, including imports and NAWEC’s own generation. Demand exceeds supply, making the situation difficult for everyone. We appeal to the public to bear with us as we explore solutions,” he said.
Managing Director Galloh Saidy says the institution is aware of the challenges posed by persistent power outages and stressed the need for transparency.
“As a public utility, we must ensure that our actions are clearly communicated. The global situation, particularly developments involving Iran, will affect all countries,” he said.
He explained that the load shedding schedule was introduced due to technical constraints affecting electricity imports, combined with high domestic demand.
“Our consumption demand is higher than the available supply, including local generation. This load shedding schedule will serve as a framework for managing such situations, especially during emergencies,” Saidy added.
He further notes that The Gambia relies on energy imports due to limited domestic resources, emphasizing that the current crisis is global in nature.
“This is a global problem, and until there is stability in the international energy market, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted power supply,” he said, urging the public to conserve energy.
Chief Operating Officer of the Electricity Business Unit, Pateh Sowe, apologized for the inconvenience caused by the outages, describing the situation as challenging.
“It is difficult for consumers who are accustomed to continuous electricity supply. However, the load shedding is necessary to address the gap between available capacity and demand, which determines the duration of outages,” he said.
Global oil prices have risen sharply amid ongoing tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, contributing to fuel shortages and increased energy costs worldwide.