Cameroon – Chad: World Bank to Inject 224 Billion CFAF for Electrical Interconnection

The World Bank will inject 224 billion FCFA for the electrical interconnection between Cameroon and Chad.

The World Bank made the approval on June 16 for the funding on the sum of 385 million dollars (nearly 224.14 billion FCFA) from the International Development Association (IDA) for the benefit of an electrical interconnection project between Cameroon and Chad.

The said funding will give a boost to the electrical interconnection project between the two countries, which also benefits from budget support from other donors.

This electrical interconnection, which aims to link the electrical networks between the two neighboring countries, should ultimately, in particular, increase access to electricity in Ndjamena, the capital and other cities in Chad.

In a World Bank statement, it was said the operation approved is considered by the two countries as a priority project which will enable them to meet the main challenges facing their respective energy sectors.

It also stated that the project will finance the first high-voltage interconnection structure in Central Africa, thereby putting clean electrical energy sources in the south of Cameroon within reach of the north of the country and of Chad, thus ensuring millions of residents of these two countries have access to reliable and affordable electricity.

The project is said to contribute to the efforts of the Sahel Alliance to accelerate development and tackle the causes of fragility in the Lake Chad region, which suggests that the fallout will go beyond Cameroon and Chad, since other countries could benefit from the electricity trade and work towards regional integration of the electricity networks.

Deborah Wetzel, Director of Regional Integration for Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank spelled out the importance of such projects for the future of the subregion.

“Strengthening regional electricity interconnection is particularly important for growth, job creation and economic transformation. The new project will clearly demonstrate the economic benefits of regional integration, but it will also play a crucial role in improving access to electricity for some of the continent’s poorest populations, thereby helping to reduce inequality.”

Beyond supporting national energy development strategies in Cameroon and Chad, this project is in line with the strategy for supporting regional integration and cooperation pursued by the World Bank Group, aiming in particular to lay the foundations for the establishment of energy pools based on cross-border interconnection systems.

In addition to the World Bank, other development partners such as the African Development Bank (AfDB) – recently released CFAF 148 billion, are helping to finance the electrical interconnection project between the two countries.

Bruno Ndonwie Funwie

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