FREETOWN, 30th October 2026 – The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring decent work and protecting workers’ rights after an inspection of the 108.4-megawatt NANT Power Project at Kissy Dockyard in Freetown.
The delegation was led by the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Umaru Napoleon Koroma Esq., who said the Ministry’s job goes beyond creating jobs to making sure those jobs are safe, decent and dignified.
“Our responsibility is not only to ensure people earn a living, but that they work in safe environments where their rights are respected,” Minister Koroma said during the visit on Wednesday, 29th October.
The visit gave the Ministry first-hand insight into employment arrangements, workplace safety standards, NASSIT compliance and general welfare of workers on one of Sierra Leone’s largest private-sector investments.
What is the NANT Power Project?
Formerly known as the Western Area Power Generation Project, the NANT Power Project is Sierra Leone’s first large-scale Independent Power Producer (IPP) and first gas-to-power plant.
– Capacity: 108.4MW combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) – enough to nearly double Sierra Leone’s current available capacity of about 100-150MW. Once operational, it will supply about 60% of Freetown’s demand and 77% of the Western Area’s grid.
– Value: US$418 million – about 4% of Sierra Leone’s GDP. It is financed without a government guarantee.
– Financing: US$292 million senior debt from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), US$120 million political risk insurance from DFC, US$40 million loan from ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), and US$85 million equity from sponsors TCQ Power Ltd (72%) and Anergi Group/BB Energy (28%). Ownership is expected to change after construction.
– Technology: High-efficiency Siemens Energy turbines running on propane/LPG now, with transition to natural gas/LNG later. Heat from gas turbines will be recovered to produce steam for extra power – that is the “combined-cycle”.
– Construction: By Shapoorji Pallonji (India). Siemens will handle Operations and Maintenance for 22 years.
– Timeline: Officially launched by President Bio on 18th June 2024, after 10 years of development since 2013. First turbine arrived April 2026. Construction now about 68% complete, with first power in Q3 2027 (September 2027) and commercial operation by end of August 2027. It has a 22-year Power Purchase Agreement with EDSA and Government.
– Site: Kissy Dockyard, 4km east of central Freetown, on the old Kissy Oil Terminal land.
Jobs and Workers’ Welfare
Presenting to the Minister, Executive Chairman Karim Nasser disclosed:
– About 700 – 740 workers currently on site daily
– 597 are Sierra Leoneans (about 80%)
– Nearly 20% are women – a strong inclusion figure for construction
– Company says it is fully up to date with NASSIT contributions for all staff – a point also confirmed last week when NASSIT Director General Chernor Mamoud Jalloh visited the site.
– Workers undergo mandatory safety induction before entering site.
Minister Koroma said he was particularly interested in whether workers have proper contracts, personal protective equipment (PPE), health insurance, overtime pay, and grievance mechanisms as required under the Employment Act 2023 and Decent Work Agenda.
He noted the project comes at a critical time when Freetown is enduring blackouts after Karpowership cut supply to 5.6MW over government debt.
“This is a significant investment in addressing our longstanding electricity challenges. We want to understand its progress and identify areas for collaboration to support its safe and timely completion,” Koroma said.
The project was also inspected by President Julius Maada Bio on 16th October, who described it as vital for energy security.
Under Sierra Leone’s National Energy Compact 2026, government targets raising electricity access from 36% to 78% by 2030. The NANT plant is central to that.
The Labour Ministry team toured the turbine hall, control building and jetty after the presentation, with further compliance checks expected in coming months.
