90 Oti communities to benefit from government electrification project

A government-led electrification initiative will provide electricity to 90 communities scattered across all nine districts of Ghana's Oti Region. This project, part of the Rural Electricity Acceleration and Urban Intensification Initiative (REIP), aims to improve access to power in both rural and urban areas. Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition Richard Gyan-Mensah outlined the project's objectives, which include extending electricity to communities without access and enhancing reliability of existing networks in urban settings.

The initiative will be executed over the next four years, with attention given to the Volta, Oti, Savannah, and North East regions during this period. To ensure stable power supply, 2,000 distribution transformers have been released for installation by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).

For communities situated far from existing distribution networks, mini-grid systems are being considered as an alternative solution. In addition to expanding electricity access, the government plans to enhance community and highway lighting through solar technology, with approximately 23,000 solar streetlights set to be installed across the country.

These solar streetlights will be funded by Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, with the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition covering the remaining costs. The project will also focus on improving electricity infrastructure and connectivity along the Eastern Corridor, including planned connections between Ho to Asiekpe, Kadjebi to Ho, Adobire to Salaga, and Tamale to Salaga.

Traditional authorities, Assembly members, and the public are urged to protect electricity infrastructure, prevent illegal connections, and promote power conservation. As outlined by Sulemana Abubakar, an engineer overseeing the Power Ministry's efforts, the project aligns with President John Dramani Mahama's directive to expand rural electrification across all 16 regions.

The Ministry is collaborating with ECG and NEDCo to implement the project, with Le-Grino leading the electrification works in the Oti Region's nine districts. Oti Regional Minister John Kwadwo Gyapong emphasized that reliable electricity would foster economic growth, particularly benefiting schools, healthcare facilities, and businesses.

He recognized the importance of electricity as an enabler of development. The Overlord of Chonke, Nana Bondja Kwame II, welcomed the intervention and called for stable and reliable electricity supply in the region. Traditional leaders, religious leaders, and representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, ECG, NEDCo, and other stakeholders were present at the project's launch.