Tanzania has made significant strides toward its goal of providing electricity to all villages by the end of this year, with 99.7% of villages already connected to the national grid. According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports, Mr. Gerson Msigwa, this milestone was shared during a seminar for editors and journalists ahead of the African Heads of State Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam later this month.
As reported by Mr. Msigwa, 32,827 out of 64,359 hamlets, representing 51% of the total, have been connected to electricity. This effort is seen as crucial for driving forward Tanzania’s economic development. The electrification has greatly benefitted key sectors such as education, health, business, and transportation. Over 12,900 educational and healthcare institutions have been electrified, improving service delivery across the country.
According to Daily News a local news platform, the government has also focused on diversifying energy sources. Investments in solar, geothermal, and wind power are expected to contribute an additional 1,100 megawatts to the grid. This will help stimulate the industrial sector, with the number of factories producing energy-related materials such as poles and cables rising from 23 in 2020 to 78 in 2024.
Furthermore, the Tanzanian government has prioritized clean cooking energy. As part of the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy for 2024-2034, the goal is for 80% of Tanzanian households to use clean cooking energy by 2034.
Daily News also reported that, President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership has played a key role in ensuring that the country’s power infrastructure supports economic growth. The government is also working to enable citizens and entrepreneurs to contribute fully to the national economy through improved access to electricity.
According to the Director of Rural Electrification at the Rural Energy Agency (REA), Engineer Jones Olotu, 69.6% of rural Tanzanians currently have electricity access, with national coverage standing at 78.4%. The government is conducting another assessment of electricity access in rural areas, with results due by March 2025.