Sherbro: Idris Elba's plans for a futuristic eco-city
British actor wants to transform Sierra Leonean island into economic and environmental powerhouse, but issues of feasibility and funding remain
Hollywood actor Idris Elba is attempting to turn an island off the coast of Sierra Leone into a futuristic, eco-friendly "smart city".
The London-born star, whose father was from the West African nation, has teamed up with a childhood friend to develop Sherbro – an island "roughly the size of the Isle of Man", said The Guardian. The Sierra Leonean government has granted Sherbro "enough autonomy" to allow the project to go ahead.
Elba hopes to use the project to bring wind-powered renewable energy to Sierra Leone for the first time. Sherbro Island, "once under British reign, is now my canvas for change", he said in a post on X.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
How did the project come about?
In 2016, Elba's childhood friend Siaka Stevens – the grandson of the late Sierra Leonean president Siaka Probyn Stevens – saw a map of power generation for Sierra Leone. Sherbro Island was the only region not highlighted, which Stevens found curious, according to the project's website.
After "extensive research", Stevens "recognised the island's potential for transformation", and convinced Elba of the positive impact that this could have on the rest of the country.
"Originally we went there thinking how could we bring tourism to the most incredible 19 miles of beachfront," the 51-year-old actor told the BBC.
But "a more innovative plan came into play", said the broadcaster.
After Elba's father died, he had "vowed to use his platform to make a genuine and long-term contribution" to Sierra Leone, said the project website. He wanted to "shift the narrative around West Africa to a positive and forward-looking vision for Africans".
In 2018, Elba and Stevens founded Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP). The following year, they agreed a deal with the Sierra Leonean government, and several major firms, to turn Sherbro into an eco-city in a development fuelled by clean energy sources.
SAP agreed with renewal energy group Octopus to build Sierra Leone's first wind farm on the island. This will "benefit all Sierra Leoneans, irrespective of their tribal or political affiliations", SAP said in a statement.
What are the issues with the project?
Sherbro, which is about two hours from the mainland by ferry, lacks mains electricity. About 30,000 people live there, according to the most recent population data from 2013, and most work in the fishing and rice farming industries.
The reality of their life is "far removed" from the mocked-up plans of what the eco-city could look like, said the Daily Mail. With glass buildings and business and entertainment complexes, the city is a world away from the "run-down shanty towns" that most of the island's inhabitants currently call home.
The island is also a delicate ecosystem, "covered with mangrove forests" and an "important nesting site for sea turtles". Elba told the BBC that "it's a beautiful, green part of the world and we don't want to disturb that".
British energy supplier Octopus has outlined plans to turn Sherbro into an "energy island", with battery stations for electric vehicles. But only about 28% of the mainland's population have access to electricity, according to the Daily Mail.
Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio, who is from the Bonthe district that includes Sherbro, said the development would make the island "an economic engine for our country and neighbours". But Elba and Stevens stress that the process is "likely to last decades", said The Guardian. Feasibility is a "key question", while SAP needs to raise "billions of dollars" from various sources.
US-Senegalese singer Akon announced a plan to build a futuristic city in Senegal more than five years ago – a £4.7 billion metropolis inspired by fictional African nation Wakanda. The first phase was due to be completed by the end of 2023, but the project has been hit by"delays and controversy". Only a youth centre and the shell of what will be the "welcome centre" has been built.
Sierra Leone, a former British colony that became independent in 1961, is "one of the poorest countries in the world, so investment isn't rushing through the door", Elba told CNN.
"Never in my lifetime would I have thought I could build the foundation for a new smart-city," he told the BBC. "I'm not qualified for that. But I am qualified to dream big."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 27, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - natural gas, fundraising with Ted Cruz, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Aid to Ukraine: too little, too late?
Talking Point House of Representatives finally 'met the moment' but some say it came too late
By The Week UK Published
-
5 generously funny cartoons on the $60 billion foreign aid package
Cartoons Artists take on Republican opposition, aid to Ukraine, and more
By The Week US Published
-
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai's severe rainfall?
The Explainer The future is flooded
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Ottawa climate talks: can global plastic problem be solved?
In the spotlight Nations aim to draft world's first treaty on plastic pollution, but resistance from oil- and gas-producing countries could limit scope
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is rock flour and how can it help to fight climate change?
The Explainer Glacier dust to the rescue
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Pros and cons of solar energy
Pros and cons Solar power could become the primary source of electricity worldwide by 2050 – but there are still clouds in the forecast
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
The growing thirst for camel milk
Under the radar Climate change and health-conscious consumers are pushing demand for nutrient-rich product – and the growth of industrialised farming
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why curbing methane emissions is tricky in fight against climate change
The Explainer Tackling the second most significant contributor to global warming could have an immediate impact
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
How the EU undermines its climate goals with animal farming subsidies
Under the radar Bloc's agricultural policy incentivises carbon-intensive animal farming over growing crops, despite aims to be carbon-neutral
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
EPA limits carcinogenic emissions at 218 US plants
Speed Read The new rule aims to reduce cancer-causing air pollution in areas like Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published