Freetown, 29th December 2025- Freetown’s Christmas morning came with candles instead of Christmas lights, as residents across the capital woke up to a city-wide blackout on December 25, 2025. The Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) announced that a network failure had disrupted power supply across several communities, leaving families to roast chickens in the dark and churches to sing “Silent Night” a little too literally.
In a public notice issued on Christmas Eve, EDSA confirmed that technical faults had crippled electricity distribution in the Priscilla Street, Hennessey Street, and Morgan Lane areas. Engineers, the authority assured, had already traced the source of the problem and were working “as quickly as possible” to restore supply.
The outage stretched across communities in Freetown: from Sander Street and Guy Street to Congo Market and Aberdeen, with communities along Rokel Upper Old Railway Line, Lumley Regent Road, and even the 7Up community plunged into darkness. For many, the only glow on Christmas Day came from ‘Chinese’ lamps, phone torches, and the occasional generator humming like an unwanted carol.
EDSA promised repairs would be completed by Friday, December 26, but said temporary power would be provided to some communities to ease the impact on holiday celebrations. The authority apologized for the disruption, acknowledging that the timing, right in the middle of the festive season, was less than ideal. “We know this is inconvenient,” the statement read, “but restoring electricity remains our top priority.”
For families and small businesses already stretched thin by holiday expenses, the blackout was a bitter gift. “Imagine buying ice blocks for Christmas drinks only to find yourself hosting a warm soda party,” one resident joked.
But beyond the inconvenience, the blackout carried symbolic weight. This was the first Christmas for Cyril A. Grant as Sierra Leone’s new Minister of Energy, a baptism by blackout.
Just a month earlier, President Julius Maada Bio had sworn him into office, calling the role “an onerous task” and reminding him of the complexities of delivering reliable electricity to the nation.
Grant, a seasoned infrastructure development specialist with over three decades of experience, is no stranger to the challenges of Sierra Leone’s energy sector. Before his appointment, he served as Executive Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Energy, guiding national policy and overseeing major projects. His mandate now is clear: expand reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy access to power socio-economic development.
Yet, on Christmas morning, his baptism came not with holy water but with candle wax. For many Sierra Leoneans, the blackout was a reminder that the promise of “light for all” remains a work in progress.
As one Freetonian joked while charging his phone at a neighbour’s generator: “If Cyril can survive this Christmas, he can survive anything.”
