Britain is to provide 20 million pounds (26.9 million euros, 39.6 million dollars) to improve electricity provision in Sierra Leone, the government announced Monday.
The International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said the money -- alongside that from other donors -- would help increase the availability of electricity in the capital Freetown at least ten-fold.
"It should provide a sustainable electricity supply to the one million residents of Freetown and provide lighting and power for health centres, water pumping stations, colleges and police stations," he said in a statement.
Alexander's department said if averaged out over the whole population, the power generated in Sierra Leone last year was only about two watts -- equivalent to one lightbulb per 30 people.
The money is part of a 36-million-pound British aid package to the impoverished west African nation, which is still blighted by poor infrastructure and lack of finance since the bitter civil war ended in 2003.
Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma is currently visiting Britain. London is the country's largest bilateral aid donor, spending some 40 million pounds notably on health care, clean water, education and economic projects.
