By Ben TC Brooks
More than 25,000 households in Fish-Town and surrounding communities have
been without electricity for over three months following a breakdown in
electrical equipment.
The outage, which began in early March 2025, has severely impacted local
businesses, especially in the beverage and entertainment sectors. Business
owners report major revenue losses and layoffs as a result.
Residents have reverted to using charcoal and firewood for cooking, while
rising costs for electricity-dependent services add to their burden. The
situation has cast a shadow over daily life, with Fish-Town largely dark at
night—save for a few scattered solar lights.
Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) head, Brown Dennis Jr., acknowledged
the hardship faced by the community and assured that power would be restored
soon. However, locals remain frustrated by the absence of a clear and
consistent timeline.
Community leaders and residents are now calling for long-term solutions,
including investment in renewable energy and infrastructure improvements to
prevent future outages.
This crisis comes despite significant past investments. In 2019, a $31.8
million funding agreement under the Liberia Energy Efficiency Access Project
(LEEAP), supported by the African Development Bank, European Union, and the
Government of Liberia, sought to extend electricity from Pleebo, Maryland
County to Fish-Town.
The project was implemented by Indian firm ALPHA TND LTD and involved installing light poles along the route.
Fish-Town received electricity for the first time on July 5, 2023, bringing
power to more than 34 southeastern communities.
While the project, initiated under President George Weah’s administration,
aimed to increase access to reliable energy, persistent outages in River Gee
reveal a disconnect between national goals and local realities.
As the blackout stretches on, residents of Fish-Town are left waiting—still
in the dark, both literally and figuratively.
