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What鈥檚 causing the blackouts in Sierra Leone?

How do you cope when the power goes out?

Sierra Leone鈥檚 capital Freetown and other cities have been suffering blackouts for weeks. It鈥檚 disrupted hospitals and daily life for many. Most of Freetown鈥檚 power comes from a Turkish ship floating off the country鈥檚 coast - and they鈥檝e massively reduced electricity supply to the city because of unpaid bills. Karpowership is one of the world's biggest floating power plant operators, with several African states relying on it for electricity.

成人快手 journalist Chimezie UcheAgbo explains where Sierra Leone gets its power and what鈥檚 causing the blackout. Fatmata Gassim (19), an engineering student in Freetown, tells us how the blackout has affected her. We also hear about power outages in Ghana (from the 成人快手鈥檚 Favour Nunoo in his car) - and the rocketing cost of electricity in Nigeria. Irene Leigh (23) sends us a message about how her company, EasySolar, is helping people in Sierra Leone find alternative ways to get their power.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Emily Horler and Mora Morrison
Editor: Verity Wilde

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13 minutes

Last on

Sat 27 Apr 2024 02:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 26 Apr 2024 17:50GMT
  • Sat 27 Apr 2024 02:50GMT

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