Petroleum and Energy minister, Fafa sSanyang stated that the implementation of the 30 kilovolts medium voltage transmission line from Laminkoto to Diabugu covering 46 villages in the Sami and Sandu districts is the first.
He noted that the contract worth $8.2 million was financed by the World Bank, EIB, and the EU. This is the planned project to achieve universal access to energy policy for the government and part of the government’s initiative to provide energy for all by 2025.
“This will provide electricity to 685 villages across the country. This is all geared towards bringing the same level of development to all corners of the country in order to provide inclusive socio-economic development and growth,” he pointed out.
Sanyang mentioned that under the leadership of Adama Barrow, the government has mobilised the necessary funding through its bilateral and multilateral partners to provide electricity to the whole of Gambia by 2025. To that end, over $200 million has been mobilised to extend access to all regions.
“The LRR, NBR, URR surveys are completed and other parts of CRR and the procurement process has been initiated for similar infrastructures to be provided in those villages. Also works are ongoing in Nyamanarr to provide electricity through a mini grid.”
Nani Juwara, the managing director of National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), said the contract will provide access to electricity to 46 rural communities, while describing it as a very important milestone for the energy sector of the country.
“As a country, we are still limited in terms of access to electricity to most of our population and government has been taking it as a priority since 2017. It is an important step to provide for the people who are yearning for access to energy for the longest time and we are targeting to cover the areas that are less privileged and have never seen an electrical pole in their life,” Juwara said.
Haddy Njie, the project coordinator, explains that the contract is a very important part of Gambia’s Electricity Restoration and Modernisation Project (GERMP) – a component geared towards interconnecting the existing isolated medium voltage backbone scattered throughout the country.
She said the contract will involve the construction of a 30-kilovolt transmission line between Laminkoto and Diabugu-Batapa with a distribution network and secondary substation.
