• Solar mini-plant brings electricity to Ségoukoura village in eastern Senegal
• 63.9 kWp facility to power services, livelihoods for nearly 2,000 residents
• Project part of Senegal’s rural electrification push toward universal access

Electricity is now available in Ségoukoura, a village in the Tambacounda department in eastern Senegal, after a solar power plant was brought online on Friday, February 6, the Senegalese presidency said.

The facility is a mini solar photovoltaic power plant with an installed capacity of 63.9 kilowatt-peak (kWp). It operates with solar panels and a battery storage system, while two diesel generators provide backup power to ensure continuity when solar output is insufficient.

Installed more than 10 kilometres from the national power grid, the plant is expected to supply electricity to nearly 2,000 residents. The presidency said the project aims to improve power access for public services and support income-generating activities.

The Ségoukoura plant is part of a national rural electrification programme based on mini solar plants, overseen by the Senegalese Agency for Rural Electrification (ASER). The programme plans to build 133 mini solar plants nationwide, including 31 in the Tambacounda region.

The programme is expected to cost 17.6 billion CFA francs ($29 million) and includes the construction of 259 kilometres of low-voltage lines and household connections. Funding comes from the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Solidarity Fund and the Senegalese government.

Senegalese authorities say expanding electricity access, particularly in rural areas that remain underserved compared with cities, is a priority. They aim to provide electricity to an additional 6.6 million people by 2030.

In January 2026, Ecofin Agency reported that nine rural villages in the Linguère department in northern Senegal were connected to the national power grid. The agency also reported the installation of four high-voltage substations in Dakar to strengthen the network.

In 2024, 84% of Senegal’s population had access to electricity, one of the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Electricity 2026 report published this month by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Senegal is on track to achieve universal electricity access by 2029.

Abdel-Latif Boureima