Hollywood actor Idris Elba has a ‘big dream’ for Sierra Leone, the West African nation where his father was born – to regenerate a beautiful island off its coast and turn it into an eco-friendly ‘smart city’ .
“We originally went there thinking how we could bring tourism to the most incredible 19 miles of beach,” the British star told the BBC of Sherbro Island.
But as the idea was explored, a more innovative plan came into play – to attract partners and seriously develop the area in a sustainable, ecological way. The project also aims to bring electricity from renewable wind energy sources to Sierra Leone for the first time.
“It’s a dream, you know, but I work in the fake business,” says Elba, known for his roles in Luther, The Wire and playing Nelson Mandela. The 51-year-old actor wants to make people believe it can happen – and change perspectives.
“The point is to be self-reliant, to bring an economy that feeds itself and has growth potential. I am very keen to redefine the way Africa is viewed… as a model of aid.
“This opportunity is completely different.”
Elba was introduced to the project by his childhood friend Siaka Stevens, the grandson of a former president of Sierra Leone of the same name.
The pair grew up together in east London, have both worked as DJs and their paths often cross in the entertainment world.
For the past decade, Stevens has been spending more time in Sierra Leone and initially wanted to establish a boutique hotel there. However, he told the BBC that his background in luxury hospitality and entertainment made him quickly realize that “Sierra Leone was not ready for this level of tourism”.
It was this that sparked thoughts about developing Sherbro Island, and with the encouragement of a friend who worked on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea business, a major tourism project, he approached Elba.
Two years later, Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP) was born, and in 2019 an agreement was signed with the government of Sierra Leone to develop Sherbro, which is in the home region of current president Julius Maada Bio.
“We believe Sherbro Island City will be an economic engine for our country and our neighbors,” the president said at the time.
The island had a population of about 30,000 in 2013, when the most recent available figures were recorded – and is about 600 square kilometers (230 sq mi). This is slightly larger than the Isle of Man off the UK and about twice the size of Malta.
Stevens says development is set to begin around the main town of Bonthe, but the entire island falls within the scope of the project – “potentially housing a population of up to a million people”.
However, Elba insisted “the character of the island will hopefully remain intact. It’s a beautiful, green part of the world and we don’t want to disturb that.”
The project is to be financed through a public-private partnership and the island will be designated a special economic zone with a separate legal and economic system from the rest of Sierra Leone.
Stevens likens its status to that of Walt Disney World in Florida. In addition to tax incentives, Disney was granted exemptions from regulations and considerable planning autonomy.
The wind and solar farm, which will include five wind turbines, an array of solar panels and battery storage, will be built by Octopus Energy Generation, one of Europe’s largest renewable energy investors.
Stevens says their involvement was secured after Elba and his wife Sabrina met top Octopus officials Greg Jackson and Zoisa North-Bond at a party where they were “super interested” in Sherbro.
Octopus said construction was scheduled to begin later this year, although the timing depends on weather conditions. Sierra Leone’s rainy season usually lasts from May to November.
The company says “onshore wind and solar are some of the fastest sources of energy we can build,” and the wind farm should be completed in a few months.
This is an exciting prospect for Sierra Leone, where only 28% of the population has access to electricity – and rural areas like Sherbro Island have no power.
Ms North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy, told the BBC that the company was considering two ways of distributing the power across the island.
One was a microgrid. The other was to act as an “energy island”, enabling local businesses to bring in electric vehicles – both cars and motorbikes – to charge from the hotel’s battery stations and then deliver power to residential batteries in people’s homes .
Octopus’ work on Sherbro Island was a pilot and would serve as a data-gathering exercise and potentially a model for other parts of Sierra Leone or elsewhere on the African continent, Ms North-Bond said.
On the larger vision for Sherbro, Stevens told the BBC that he wanted it to be an “Afro-dynamic eco-city” based on African cultural values, prioritizing community, cooperation and respect for nature.
It should also be able to adapt to changing social, economic and environmental conditions and be built sustainably – an energy efficient complex, resistant to climate change.
As the facilitator, Sherbro Alliance Partners has not set a single budget, but investments will come from a wide range of sources and are likely to run into the billions of dollars.
In addition to working with Octopus, it has signed contracts with a number of specialist partners including:
- Lloyds will “support economic development opportunities” and provide insurance and risk expertise
- Sasaki Associates and Foster & Partners will oversee the overall master plan and landscape architecture. Fosters is known for a wide range of global projects including London’s Gherkin, City Hall and the Millennium Bridge
- MIC-HUB, a transportation planning company, has been tasked with managing efficient transportation to and from the island, along with eco-friendly travel in Sherbro
- And coastal engineer PRDW will look at the effects of climate change and how sea level fluctuations might affect the island.
The success of this project can only be judged in hindsight, but it is a huge undertaking.
Some other African projects with a similar ethos have yet to realize their potential. There have been questions about the feasibility of Senegal’s Akon City or the Malaysian Eco-Satellite City in Uganda.
But in Sierra Leone, measuring success goes far beyond the bottom line. Elba seems dubious that he’ll ever make a profit — but, he said, he’s about to make it.
“Part of me wants to build this beautiful retirement home for my mom,” he said.
“Never in my life would I have thought I could build the foundation for a new smart city… I’m not qualified for this. But I am qualified to dream big.”
Reflecting on his late father, Elba said he would probably think the dream was too big, but he would be proud and have some good advice: “If you’re going to do it, make sure you do it right.
“You do it well, you do it with all your heart because that’s the best you can do.”