Ninety communities across all nine districts of the Oti Region are set to benefit from a government electrification project aimed at expanding electricity access and improving the reliability of existing power networks.

The Turnkey Electrification Project, being implemented under the Rural Electricity Acceleration and Urban Intensification Initiative (REIP), was launched in the region as part of efforts to extend electricity to underserved communities and strengthen existing infrastructure.

Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition and Member of Parliament for Gomoa West, Richard Gyan-Mensah, said the initiative would address both rural and urban electricity needs.

He said the rural component would extend electricity to communities without access, while the urban intensification component would improve existing networks to enhance reliability and supply.

Mr Gyan-Mensah said government plans to extend the strategy to all 16 regions over the next four years, with the Volta, Oti, Savannah and North East regions among those receiving attention this year.

He also disclosed that 2,000 distribution transformers had been released for installation by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) to improve supply stability.

For communities located far from existing distribution networks, the government is considering mini-grid systems as an alternative means of providing electricity.

The beneficiary communities in Oti are spread across Guan, Buem, Akan, Biakoye, Nkwanta South, Nkwanta North, Krachi Nchumuru, Krachi West and Krachi East districts.

Solar streetlights for communities

The Deputy Minister also announced plans to improve community and highway lighting through solar technology, with about 23,000 solar streetlights expected to be provided nationwide.

Under the arrangement, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies will contribute part of the installation cost, with the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition financing the remainder.

Mr Gyan-Mensah said government was also working on electricity infrastructure and connectivity along the Eastern Corridor to improve supply and voltage stability in the region.

He mentioned planned connections involving Ho to Asiekpe, Kadjebi to Ho, Adobire to Salaga and Tamale to Salaga, which would be undertaken in phases.

He called on traditional authorities and the Assemblies to help protect electricity infrastructure, prevent illegal connections and safeguard the right-of-way needed for the projects.

He also urged consumers to pay their electricity bills, observe electrical safety measures and conserve power.

Project to cover all nine Oti districts

Sulemana Abubakar, an engineer in charge of Power at the Ministry, said the project forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to expand rural electrification across all 16 regions.

He said the Ministry was working with ECG and NEDCo to implement the project, with Le-Grino selected to undertake the electrification works across the nine districts of the Oti Region.

Oti Regional Minister John Kwadwo Gyapong said reliable electricity would create opportunities and strengthen economic activity, particularly in schools, health facilities and businesses.

“Electricity is an enabler for development and not an end,” he said.

He expressed appreciation to government for selecting 90 communities in the region to benefit from the project and assured stakeholders of the Regional Coordinating Council’s support for its implementation.

The Overlord of Chonke, Nana Bondja Kwame II, also welcomed the intervention and appealed to the Ministry to ensure that electricity supply in the region remained stable and reliable.

The launch was attended by traditional leaders, religious leaders, representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, ECG, NEDCo and other stakeholders.