Rwanda is on course to achieve its target of universal access to electricity by 2024.
Fidele Abimana Permanent Secretary in Rwandan Ministry of Infrastructure said after the number of households connected to electricity reached two million over the weekend.
“With an average of five people per household, around 10 million Rwandans have access to electricity currently.
“This puts us on course to achieving government’s vision of ensuring that all households in the country have access to electricity by 2024,” he said.
“We have connected a million households to power in the last two years.
“With the same number of households remaining shows that our target of universal connection in the next two years is within reach.”
He added that the government recognises the role of electricity in national development and improving people’s standards of living.
Access to electricity has increased from two per cent in 2000 to around 74.5 per cent to date, according to the ministry.
At least 50.9 per cent households are connected to the national grid while 23.6 per cent use off-grid solutions including solar energy.
Even when a lot has been achieved, we still have a long way to go to ensure 100 per cent access, Ron Weiss, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda’s power utility company, Rwanda Energy Group, said during the same event.
“At least 25 per cent of people should be connected in two years. It is still a big number but we assure that this is achievable,” he said.
More than 640,000 households are connected through off-grid solutions.
The Rwandan government has projected that by 2024 about 70 per cent of households will be connected to the national grid while 30 per cent will be using off-grid solutions.