Exam Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone hosted a historic milestone in the ECOWAS sustainable energy sector with the holding of the first regional certification exam for off-grid solar photovoltaic system technicians (Level I). Organised by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Ministry of Energy and the Freetown Polytechnic, the exam took place between 15 and 17 November 2024. 

The event was attended by several leading figures, including Shebora Kamara, Chairperson of Policy, Research, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Energy; Mohammed Kamara, Director of the Freetown Polytechnic and Renewable Energy Centre; Golda Williams, Executive Secretary of the Renewable Energy Association of Sierra Leone (REASL); Mohamed Bangura, Standards Bureau Engineer; Abdul Sesay, NCTVA Administrative Officer; Alfred Abu, Head of the Physics Department at Njala University; as well as Claudino Mendes, Coordinator of the ECOWAS Regional Sustainable Energy Certification Programme, and representatives from ECREEE and GIZ, Ibrahim Soumaila. 

The exam is part of a larger ECREEE initiative to develop and mobilise a skilled workforce in the ECOWAS region by promoting high standards in the installation of solar photovoltaic systems. The certification seeks to increase investor confidence in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector, while fostering the use of international quality technologies.