Addis Ababa — The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) announced that 1,382 rural towns and villages have gained electricity access as part of the nation's ongoing expansion efforts carried out over the past reform years.

Speaking to ENA, EEU Communications Executive Melaku Taye noted that following the nationwide reform, significant progress has made in enhancing electricity access throughout the country particularly in rural towns and villages.

He emphasized the tangible outcomes of these efforts, particularly in rural areas where electricity access was previously limited.

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Melaku emphasized that a significant increase in electricity customers, rising from 3.2 million to over 5 million in recent years, a milestone he hailed as a major achievement.

Despite this progress, he acknowledged the need for improved electricity coverage, especially in remote areas beyond the national grid, and emphasized encouraging advancements through the deployment of solar energy systems for these off-grid communities.

The infrastructure that served for many years and the inconsistent maintenance have led to service disruptions and customer dissatisfaction, he stated.

EEU Communications Executive also added that to address these issues, the EEU has initiated comprehensive network improvement and reconstruction projects in key urban centers, funded through internal revenue and development partner support.

The first phase of these upgrades is complete in major cities like Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Adama, Mekelle, Bahir Dar, and Jimma, with additional works nearing completion like Wolayta Sodo, Harar, Shashemene, Debre Markos, Gondar, and Kombolcha.

The completion of the ongoing upgrades will significantly enhance the reliability of electricity supply for customers nationwide, he reiterated.

According to him, once the network improvement and reconstruction works are fully operational, customers will experience a more reliable power supply.

He also emphasized that the institution is implementing research-based solutions to improve service delivery and increase customer satisfaction.

A system has been established allowing customers to submit suggestions via a mobile application and encourage them to actively participate and contribute to solutions by sharing their feedback, he stated.