Access to electricity has become a big deal for northern region residents hence it has compelled government to map out a strategy to improve power supply in the area.
The Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, have electricity coverage of 70%, 60% and 45% respectively, compared to the southern sector.
According to the Government, it will increase access to electricity by 90% in the three northern regions by the year 2020.
The Deputy Minister for Energy, Mohammed Amin Adam announced this.
But speaking atGambrongu in the Bongo district of the Upper East Region to the commission nine communities to the national grid, Dr. Amin said, government will sign turn key contracts to increase universal access to electricity by 90% in Northern Ghana.
“We have noticed that, electricity access in the Northern part of Ghana is low. While Accra is 100%, Ashanti is almost 96%, Upper East is 60%, Northern Region is about 70% and Upper West Region is about 45%. Therefore, this year through to next year, government is going to sign new turnkey contracts purposely for Northern part of Ghana to raise the access rate from where it is now to more than 90%”.
This Dr. Amin said, when completed, will push government’s industrialization agenda and its social intervention programmes to accelerate rapid development of the north.
“…We believe that without electricity there cannot be accelerated development. The NPP government wants to do One District One Factory and without electricity, the factories cannot operate. We are doing Free SHS and we want to extend electricity to communities so that our children in their classrooms will be able to make use of computers and internet. It will also improve quality of healthcare in our communities especially in communities without light”.
Dr. Amin Adam led a ceremony to unveil electricity connection to eight communities in the Bongo district which hitherto were not connected to the national grid.
The communities are KunkuaDoone, Gowrie Tingre, Gowrie Nayire and Gowrie Dabotin. The rest are AzenkoDoone, Ayakarikem, AdingoDoone and AviireDoone.
Communities members expressed their profound gratitude to government, saying they hope to see an improvement in their livelihoods through socio-economic activities, once they have been connected to the national grid.
CitinewsRoom