TANZANIA’S ambitious project to electrify all 12,318 villages in the country received a significant boost as authorities announced plans to expedite the programme’s completion by June 2024.
Johnes Olotu, the acting director of the Rural Energy Agency, disclosed in a press conference held in Dar es Salaam, the commercial hub of Tanzania, Thursday that the rural electrification initiative, originally slated for conclusion in 2025, is set to cover over 70 percent of the rural population, fostering economic growth and development.
‘The accelerated rural electrification programme is aimed at providing essential electricity access to empower communities and drive economic activities,’ Olotu emphasised during the briefing.
The initiative, spanning three decades, has achieved a commendable 73 percent implementation rate, Olotu reported. He further outlined that the government, in collaboration with the World Bank, is funding this monumental project, amounting to TSh1.58 trillion ($630 million).