The African Development Bank has approved more than €103 million in financing for Côte d’Ivoire’s electricity sector as the country pushes toward universal energy access by 2030. The funding forms part of the second phase of the country’s PROSER programme, which aims to connect more than 100,000 additional households to the national grid.
Electricity access remains one of Africa’s most important development challenges. While urban electrification has improved significantly across the continent, rural communities continue to lag behind. The new funding will support grid expansion across 244 rural communities and strengthen distribution infrastructure in Abidjan and several regional centres.
More than 74,000 LED streetlights will also be installed as part of the programme. The project builds on the success of PROSER I, which exceeded its original targets by electrifying over 1,500 communities and constructing nearly 10,000 kilometres of distribution lines.
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For Côte d’Ivoire, electricity access is increasingly being treated as economic infrastructure rather than simply a public service. Improved electricity supply affects business formation, education outcomes, healthcare delivery and industrial growth.
The project also includes programmes focused on youth employment, women’s economic participation and institutional capacity building. As electricity demand continues to rise across West Africa, the challenge is shifting from proving the value of electrification to financing it at scale.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News.
