African Development Bank (AfDB) has said that more than 57 percent of the people in West Africa are
without access to electricity. The bank stated this in its “West Africa Monitor
Quarterly”, for the second quarter of 2014 report. It said that the percentage
approximated the average for sub-Saharan Africa,” but extremely low compared
with 23 per cent in the developing world and 18 percent globally.” According to
the report, with inadequate generation capacity, low electrification, and
sporadic, unreliable and expensive service, energy is at the top of questions
requiring adequate policy intervention. It explained that access rates varied
from country to country, with eight per cent in Niger and 15 per cent in
Burkina Faso, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau. The report added
that about 70 per cent of the population in Ghana had access to electricity
while 87 per cent were hooked to supply in Cape Verde. It also said that there
are disparities in access to electricity between rural areas and urban centers
in the sub-region, with urban dwellers having more access than rural people.
According to the bank, the trend is more glaring in Ghana where 87 percent of
urban dwellers have access to electricity, compared with the five per cent in
rural areas. It disclosed that West African countries had joined the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative towards achieving
universal energy access by 2030, with renewable energy shared improvement and
efficiency.
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