FACT CHECK: Has President Adama Barrow’s administration connected 203,000 electricity meters?

Source: President Adama Barrow, during his speech on the occasion of the 60^th independence celebration

Verdict: True

Claim:

During the 60th Independence Anniversary of The Gambia, President Adama Barrow, in his speech, stated that 203,000 electricity meters have been connected under his administration.

Full Text:

Our research team, utilizing the Access to Information Act, submitted a formal request to NAWEC (National Water and Electricity Company) for data on the number of electricity meters installed under three administrations:

1. Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara (May his soul rest in peace) – 1965 to 1994
2. Excellency Yahya AJJ Jammeh – 1994 to 2017
3. President Adama Barrow – 2017 to present

The official dataset provided by NAWEC includes detailed information on the number of meters installed during each administration, allowing for a comprehensive comparison.

The table below presents the number of electricity meters installed before 2017, covering both the Jawara and Jammeh governments:

Basically, over 52 years (1965 – 2017) a total of 195,244 electricity meters were installed with an average yearly installation rate before 2017 was 3,755 electricity meters per year.
The table below presents the number of electricity meters installed from 2017 onwards:

Since 2017, 204,376 electricity meters have been installed with an average installation rate under Barrow’s administration is 29,196 meters per year with a 7.8% increase from previous administration.

The table below presents the number of electricity meters installed before and from 2017:

The total number of electricity meters connected by NAWEC is reported to be 399,620, with combined data from all three governments. President Adama Barrow’s claim that 203,000 meters have been connected is factually supported by NAWEC data. As of 2024, the actual number of meters connected since President Barrow came into power in 2017 is slightly higher, at 204,376, making his claim of 203,000 meters somewhat understated. Therefore, his claim is accurate.

by Muhammed L. Touray
OSINT Expert