Powering Progress

In a region long plagued by instability, energy poverty, and displacement, a transformative project has emerged as a beacon of hope. Enter Energy Somalia (EES), a dynamic public-private partnership funded by UK aid through the British Embassy in Mogadishu via the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform, has successfully brought electricity – and with it, economic opportunity - to thousands in the Barwaaqo resettlement area.

Connecting Displaced Communities

Launched against a tight timeframe in in September 2024, the EES project aimed to electrify 3,159 households in some of the most underserved communities in Somalia. By March 2025, 2,241 households had access to reliable electricity, with the remaining connections officially transferred to Baidoa Electric Company (BECO) and the Baidoa Municipality for completion.

This ambitious infrastructure rollout included:

• 148 medium-voltage poles
• 1,209 energised low-voltage poles
• The introduction of SparkMeter prepaid meters, a technology-first for much of Somalia

Powering Business: Supporting Entrepreneurs

Beyond lighting homes, EES also energized local enterprises, and simultaneously provided demand-stimulating activities to support livelihood strengthening. A critical component of the project focused on Productive Use of Energy (PUE), helping 149 small business owners -75% of whom were women - access the electricity they needed to scale up operations.

Through a partnership with IBS Bank and a BDS provider, business owners also received:

• Tailored business development training
• Appliances
• Credit opportunities (up to $5,000 for selected businesses)

Appliances like refrigerators and blenders helped fuel ventures such as cold drink sales and food preservation - key livelihoods in the Somali internal displacement context.

A Community Celebration

At the project’s end, a successful "Lights On" ceremony was held. This event, both symbolic and transformational in its nature, was attended by dignitaries including the President of Southwest State, the Mayor of Baidoa, and virtually by the UK Ambassador. This marked a new era for Barwaaqo - for the first time, families and businesses had access to affordable energy.

The Road Ahead: A Model for Somalia

EES stands as a replicable blueprint for energy access in Somalia, showcasing how government, NGOs, and private companies can work together to spark lasting change.

The Barwaaqo IDP site served as a reminder that when infrastructure meets inclusion, the impact is more than electrification – it is economic transformation. Future projects can build on what was achieved through scale and replication:

• Scale up and diversify livelihood support to more communities under the PUE component
• Expand access to digital metering and smart payment systems – building on pioneering work done in this context  
• Strengthen local ownership through capacity-building of local utilities, reducing dependency on external monitoring and providing them with agency