Idris Elba plans to turn Sierra Leone island into eco-city

IDRIS ELBA has embarked on an unlikely new passion project – turning a remote island off the coast of Sierra Leone into a futuristic eco-friendly city.

The British star is about as London as it gets. Born in Canning Town, east London, Elba made his name as a hard-bitten detective roughing up bad guys in grimy spots around the capital.

But his father’s native Sierra Leone was never far from his heart. And now, having established himself as one of the UK’S biggest acting talents, he’s chasing another “big dream” – bringing wind-powered renewable electricity to the country for the first time.

“It’s a dream, you know, but I work in the make-believe business,” Elba told the BBC.

The plan is to develop Sherbro, a little island shaped like a bird’s head off the coast of Sierra Leone, into a sustainable eco-friendly, smart city.

Artist impressions of the city depict a glittering array of glassy-looking buildings surrounding lakes and well-tended lawns, with a futuristic bridge straddling the highway.

The island would also be home to electric vehicles, both cars and motorcycles, that can be charged from on-site battery stations.

“It’s about being self-reliant, it’s about bringing an economy that feeds itself and has growth potential. I’m very keen to reframe the way Africa is viewed… as an aid model,” he said.

The idea was floated by his childhood friend Siaka Stevens who, looking at a map of power generation for Sierra Leone, questioned why Sherbro was not highlighted. Mr Stevens began to do some digging and went to Sherbro to better understand why this little patch had been left off the map.

He saw an island disconnected from the mainland. It had no schooling, medical care or infrastructure.

Mr Stevens, who was born in Sierra Leone but has lived in the UK since he was five years old, felt compelled to do something and got in touch with his old friend Elba, whose father Winston was a proud Sierra Leonean. He took Elba to Sherbro where the star saw the island for himself. The idea morphed beyond tourism to a plan that could make the island more self-sufficient.

Elba cautioned, however, that “the character of the island hopefully will remain intact. It’s a beautiful, green part of the world and we don’t want to disturb that”.