The Gambia is facing a growing electricity crisis, with some residents experiencing power outages lasting up to 48 hours. The prolonged blackouts have triggered public anger and street protests in several parts of the country.

Protesters took to the streets in and around Banjul, burning tyres, erecting barricades and demanding an end to the persistent power cuts. Some demonstrators also called for President Adama Barrow to step down. Police used tear gas to disperse some of the gatherings.

The crisis has been blamed on a combination of record electricity demand during the hot season, technical problems at major generating units and reduced hydropower production. The country’s electricity provider, NAWEC, had previously warned of load shedding following an unexpected rise in demand.

President Barrow addressed the nation on television, acknowledging the hardship caused by the outages and declaring the electricity situation an emergency and national security issue. He promised that new generators would arrive and said an additional 24-megawatt generation unit was being installed.

The government has also awarded a contract for a 50-megawatt solar power plant, while authorities say efforts are underway to stabilise electricity supplies by the end of October.

The protests have since led to a further security response. Gambian police announced that demonstrations would require official permits after some of the unrest resulted in damage to public and utility facilities. Authorities said 11 people had been arrested in connection with vandalism during the protests.

The electricity crisis comes ahead of The Gambia’s December 2026 presidential election, adding political pressure on President Barrow as public frustration over living conditions and unreliable power continues to grow.