In the West African country of Gambia, power shortages are becoming increasingly severe. Amid intense heat, blackouts sometimes last for as long as 48 hours, and on September 7, 2026, several hundred citizens staged a protest in the capital, Banjul. Protesters burned tires to block roads, and some called for the resignation of President Adama Barrow, with a presidential election scheduled for December. Barrow has pledged to resolve the crisis by the end of October, but the power shortage has become chronic and the situation remains highly uncertain.

Since June, blackouts have been occurring intermittently in Gambia, and even as temperatures have risen there has been no improvement, with the duration and frequency of outages increasing. During these periods, citizens cannot use fans or refrigerators, and the impact on daily life and the stagnation of economic activity have been highlighted.

A distinctive feature of Gambia’s electricity supply is that it depends on imports from neighboring countries such as Senegal and Guinea. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2025, about 75% of power consumption was covered by imports from Senegal.

When the power supply-demand balance in neighboring countries tightens, the amount supplied to Gambia naturally decreases. According to Gallo Saidy, managing director of the state-owned electricity company NAWEC, in 2026, reduced rainfall led to a decline in the amount of hydropower available through the regional grid.

Meanwhile, domestic power generation has served as a backup during peak demand and supply interruptions. According to the World Bank, Gambia has about 90 megawatts of installed generation capacity. However, due to aging facilities and rising fuel prices for heavy fuel oil and diesel, the operating rate often falls below 50%. The inability of domestic generation to compensate for the decline in imported electricity is the direct cause of the power shortage.

To address this, the government plans to add 24 megawatts of generation capacity to a power plant in Brikama, one of the country’s major cities, and bring it online by the end of October. President Barrow has asked for understanding, saying, “For our country this is a substantial amount of generation capacity and it will make a significant difference to your households.” Although the timing has not been disclosed, there is also a plan to build a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Soma, an inland town.

However, the prolonged power crisis is fueling public frustration. From the very beginning of the Barrow administration in 2017, resolving the electricity shortage has been one of its top priorities. The domestic media outlet The Point criticizes the government harshly, stating, “Electricity is not a privilege, it is a necessity. It is impossible to say that a government which cannot stop blackouts even after nine years is bringing development.” As the presidential election approaches, criticism of Barrow, who is seeking a third term, is intensifying.

Learn more about Gambia’s neighbor Senegal → “Democracy in Senegal”

Learn more about West Africa → “The Changing International Relations of West Africa”

Bansang, Gambia (Photo: Wmtribe2015 / Wikimedia Commons / [CC BY-SA 4.0])