- The government of Niger has officially launched the first phase of the Niger Electricity Acceleration Project named “Haské”.
- The project supported by the World Bank Group aims to accelerate electricity and clean cooking in Niger.
The Niger Electricity Acceleration Project is now on track. Its first phase was recently launched at a ceremony in Niamey, in the presence of officials from the World Bank Group called the “Haske”, which means “light” in Hausa. This project aims to increase the access rate to electricity in Niger to 30% by 2026 and 80% by 2035.
Despite having a subsoil particularly rich in uranium, Power Africa reports that Niger has one of the lowest energy rates available on the African continent, at only 13%. In urban regions, 75% of families have access to electricity; in rural areas, only 5% do. Therefore, Niamey relies on the “Haské” program to lift Niger out of this rut. The project intends to provide clean cooking kits, install solar mini-grids in rural areas, and expand the national power network in urban areas.
The Niger government intends to create new mini-grids and upgrade current mini-thermal power plants with solar power systems in rural areas. In addition to promoting the efficient use of electricity, the project will supply electricity to homes, public utilities, and businesses. The distribution of clean cooking kits in homes is the second important aspect of the “Haské” campaign.