KIGALI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda is on course to achieve its target of universal access to electricity by 2024, an official said after the number of households connected to electricity reached 2 million over the weekend.
"With an average of five people per household, around 10 million Rwandans have access to electricity currently. This puts us on course to achieving government's vision of ensuring that all households in the country have access to electricity by 2024," Fidele Abimana, the Permanent Secretary in Rwandan Ministry of Infrastructure said Sunday during an event to connect the latest resident to power in Nyarugenge district in Kigali, Rwanda's capital.
"We have connected a million households to power in the last two years. With the same number of households remaining shows that our target of universal connection in the next two years is within reach," he said, adding that the government recognizes the role of electricity in national development and improving people's standards of living.
Access to electricity has increased from 2 percent in 2000 to around 74.5 percent to date, according to the ministry.
At least 50.9 percent households are connected to the national grid while 23.6 percent use off-grid solutions including solar energy.
Even when a lot has been achieved, we still have a long way to go to ensure 100 percent access, Ron Weiss, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda's power utility company, Rwanda Energy Group, said during the same event.
"At least 25 percent of people should be connected in two years. It is still a big number but we assure that this is achievable," he said.
More than 640,000 households are connected through off-grid solutions.
The Rwandan government has projected that by 2024 about 70 percent of households will be connected to the national grid while 30 percent will be using off-grid solutions. ■
