The workshop according to UNIDO Country Representative, Mariatu Swaray is to improve renewable energy in the country, adding that UNIDO has held other workshops which were organized for potential entrepreneurs, promoters of business start-ups, officials from entrepreneurship promoting government agencies, and academia focusing on entrepreneurship.

According to the Country Representative, the five days’ training workshop will help boost ideas of potential entrepreneurs to businesses for development.

As part of UNIDO’s activities, Mariatu Swaray disclosed that UNIDO is planning to organize a workshop titled: ‘Women Entrepreneurs and Sustainable Energy in Sierra Leone’. This workshop will focus on Energy and Gender at the Barefoot College in Konta Line.

She explained that the workshop will bring together more than 30 women energy entrepreneurs and aims to bring to light the role that women can play across the energy value chain to expand economic opportunities and alleviate energy poverty.

Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay said Renewable Energy is essential in countries where access to energy is a major concern to which Sierra Leone is not an exception.

The minister said it is no doubt that the availability of modern energy services particularly to rural areas of the country has the potential to promote the growth of agro-based and other small-cottage industries, create employment and thereby stimulate socio-economic growth especially in the rural areas.

Alhaji Kanja Sesay said the training workshop will contribute immensely towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals especially SDG 13 which is to take urgent action to combat climate change and SDG 7 which aims at ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all and SDG 5 that aims to achieve gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls.

The minister pledged government’s support to renewable energy and asked the participants to learn to implement development projects after the session.