Gambia: 44 More Rural Settlements to Get Electricity

At least 44 more Gambian communities are billed to benefit from an electricity project as part of the government's expansion strategy of this vital social amenity. The Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh, who made the disclosure at the recent state opening of the National Assembly, said a contract has been signed for the expansion and extension of electricity to these communities in rural Gambia. He informed that site works are already in progress to finalise survey design and other logistics. "It is envisaged that 44 other settlements will benefit from this project extension," he affirmed, disclosing further that a number of power generation and distribution projects have already been embarked upon in collaboration with development partners. These, he pointed out, include the West Coast Region electrification project, which is 85% complete, "The Venezuela project, which entails the installation and rehabilitation of transformer stations, conductors and distribution panels, has had its first phase already being commissioned and operational," he informed.

The Gambian leader elucidated further that the Rural Electrification Extension Project, which has the objective of improving power generation and transmission systems in the rural areas, also includes the installation of HFO Generation Sets. Jammeh however noted that the energy sector still remains a challenge despite massive investments in the sector over the past years with the acquisition of new generators and building of a new power station in Brikama. These investments, according to him, are dwarfed by the ever increasing demand for electricity both for domestic and industrial use.

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