Government has secured an amount of $186.4 million to connect 622 communities in the five (5) regions of the North to the national grid by the end of 2020.
The move, which is under the rural electrification project, is to increase access of rural communities to electricity.
It also forms part of government’s vision of achieving universal electricity coverage by 2025.
Speaking to Citi News at the commissioning of the Bongo street lighting system, in the Upper East Region, Deputy Energy Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam was optimistic that, the project when completed will significantly improve the livelihood of residents.
“We have found that, when it comes to average access to electricity, the five regions of the North are lagging behind and to ensure that we bridge the North-South development gap, government is making these efforts to ensure that communities that are not connected to the national grid are connected.”
“Educational improvement will result from the extension of electricity because our children in rural communities can study in the night, health delivery is improved because you can do surgery in the night and refrigerate certain vaccines and medicines for treatment. Again small business enterprises that require electricity to operate will be established to boost the local economy of beneficiary communities.”
Dr. Adam reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring universal access to electricity by 2025 to propel development in rural areas and aid in the smooth implementation of government flagship programs.
“President Nana Addo has instructed us ( Energy Ministry) to extend electricity to any community with productive activity and get all communities in the country connected to electricity by 2025.”
“…And we need it for several reasons because without electricity everywhere in Ghana not everywhere will get the One-District-One-Factory, not everyone will benefit from Free SHS especially the teaching of ICT and without it, we will not be able to accelerate development in Ghana”.
Dr. Adam also hinted that, government has secured $140 million from the Standard Chartered Bank to connect 354 communities in the Upper East Region under phase two of the Thengashep project.
He said, environmental and social impact assessment of the project will soon be conducted for the commencement of the project only in the Upper East Region.
Dr. Adam described as phenomenal the NPP government’s efforts at achieving universal electricity coverage by 2025 and appealed to Ghanaians to vote massively to retain the NPP government in the 2020 general elections.
