• Third project phase to install solar systems in 51 additional villages
  

• Only 20% of rural areas electrified; full coverage needs 874 billion CFA francs

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has approved a new 55.4 million-euro (64.6 million-dollar) loan from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to support rural solar electrification, according to a decree published on Wednesday.

The financing will fund the third phase of a project aimed at installing solar photovoltaic systems in 200 rural communities. This phase will connect 51 additional villages to electricity.

Cameroon first signed a financing agreement with Afreximbank for the project in 2023, valued at 24.8 billion CFA francs (about 44 million dollars). The economy minister later approved a second loan of 35 billion CFA francs.

According to the Rural Electrification Agency (AER), only 20 percent of Cameroon’s rural population currently has access to electricity. Even with the ongoing project, just 11 percent of the 9,000 villages still without power will be connected. Authorities estimate that 874 billion CFA francs will be needed to fully electrify rural areas nationwide.

The initiative also seeks to diversify Cameroon’s energy mix, which remains dominated by hydropower. Solar, wind and biomass together account for only about 1 percent of total electricity generation, according to official figures.

The project is part of Cameroon’s broader effort to expand rural electrification and scale up clean energy to meet the rising electricity needs of its population.

SG