Cameroon – Energy Supply: Over 10,000 Communities Without Electricity

Par Atia T. AZOHNWI | Cameroon-Info.Net
YAOUNDE - 03-Aug-2019 - 13h58   4288                      
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Electricity remains a luxury in Cameroon Atia Azohnwi
The Rural Electrification Agency, AER, says over 10,000 Cameroonian towns are without light, according to its recent findings. Most of these localities are in rural area, with many of them far flung making accessibility extremely difficult.

The AER report reveals that only 3,703 rural communities out of 13,703 are lit. The overall coverage rate in rural areas is 20 percent. However, the World Bank estimated in 2018 that 62 percent of Cameroonians had access to electricity. But in this country, there are significant disparities in the sup- ply of electricity.

The situation would be more complicated in the Adamawa, East, and Far- North, North and North-West regions contrary to the Centre, Littoral, West, South West and South regions.

The Rural Electrification Agency is currently running a project to electrify 1,000 villages using solar energy, while more than 300 other villages will be connected to the existing electricity grid.

Meanwhile, the National Community-Driven Development Program, PNDP, assures that with the World Bank supporting the Nachtigal Hydroelectric Project with an investment package of 794.5 million dollars, the energy sector in Cameroon will soon witness a 30% increase in electricity production.

The said project being within the long-term commitment taken by the World Bank Group that has, for 20 years been backing the energy sector in Cameroon. Once completed, the PNDP assures that the new infrastructure will provide the best opportunities to the poor populations who, due to the lack of suitable electrical supply, are disproportionately excluded from national economic activity.

“This is a public private partnership model which is expected to boost competitiveness in the field of economy,” PNDP Country Director, Marie Madeleine Nga stated.

Similarly, the World Bank country Director for Cameroon, Elisabeth Huybens, says this investment in Cameroon’s clean energy sector is deemed indispensable in order to scale down the cost of electricity, thereby reviving competitiveness within the national economy. She added that the project is expected to speed up the achievement of Cameroon’s development objectives, more specifically as far as poverty alleviation is concerned.

Huybens reiterated that for close to twenty years, Cameroon has been implementing a good number of reforms within the energy sector in a bid to improve on its financial viability and attract private investment. By resorting to an integrated approach in order to boost financing earmarked for development, the World Bank Group has played a major role in connection with fund-raising in favour of the Nachtigal project.

Auteur:
Atia T. AZOHNWI
 @T_B_D
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