afrol News, 14 October - A new project to improve rural electrification has been approved in Senegal, a country where less than 10 percent of the rural population has access to electricity. The Senegalese government has assured funding of an electrification of the region of Louga, located in the north-west.

After years of mapping the feasibility and the potential market for electricity, the Senegalese Agency for Rural Electrification (ASER) today achieved financing from the Tunis-based African Development Fund (ADF) to launch a major project in the Louga region. The ADF today approved of a US$ 14 million loan to finance the Louga project.

Rural electrification has been defined as a key sector to reduce poverty and increase rural living standards by the Dakar government. In 2001, the electrification rate in Senegal was 32 percent on a national level, but only 8 percent in rural areas, according to ASER. Senegalese authorities plan to reach a 30 percent rural electrification rate by 2015 and a 60 percent rate by 2022.

One of the areas currently in bitter need of electrification is the Louga region, located some 160 kilometres north-east of Dakar. The Sahelian region predominantly depends on rain-fed agriculture and livestock breeding, and groundnuts remain the main cash-crop. Poverty is abundant.

Prior to asking for funding, ASER and Louga regional authorities ordered a feasibility study by the French engineering and consulting company Sofreco. The potential to "contribute to economic and social development and to the improvement of women's living conditions" was studied, in addition to the potential market for rural electrification in the area and inexpensive technical options. The Sofreco study of Louga is set to be used as a model for other Senegalese regions.

ASER found that rural electrification in Louga region would improve the living standards of the rural populations by getting electricity supply and creating business conditions for the trade, craft industry and livestock sectors.

Also the social situation was expected to improve by the project. Electricity was to improve access to clean drinking water, thus having a positive impact on health and the fight against malnutrition. "Electricity is also necessary to ensure the full effectiveness of school facilities and the health sector," ASER concluded.

By creating an improved business environment and strengthening social services in the Louga region, Senegalese authorities further hoped to stop "the rural exodus" to Dakar. The government plans to strengthen rural centres to redirect migration to those towns and cities.

Senegalese authorities plan to launch rural electrification projects in nine major areas during the next years. These projects depend on loans from the ADF and other international finance institutions. The projects are to create surpluses that are believed to enable ASER to pay back these loans when rural users start paying for their power supply.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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