Ethiopia eyes universal electricity access by 2035

ADDIS ABABA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government has called for concerted efforts to ensure accelerated implementation of the country's landmark electrification initiative that aims to achieve universal electrification by 2035.

This came as the Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy held a discussion Monday to review the next phase of the National Electrification Program (NEP 3.0) Roadmap, bringing together senior government officials, development partners, private sector leaders, and relevant international stakeholders, the ministry said in a statement issued on Monday.

Experts and officials at the meeting emphasized that despite notable progress made in recent years, an estimated 35 percent of households across the country still lack access to electricity, underscoring the urgent need for concerted efforts.

Ethiopia's State Minister of Water and Energy Sultan Wali said during the occasion that the NEP 3.0 is the East African country's "strategic goal to achieve universal, reliable, affordable, and sustainable access to electricity by 2035."

The state minister highlighted that significant progress has been made in recent years, mainly through the implementation of NEP 1.0 and 2.0, in terms of expanding on-grid and off-grid electricity access, strengthening institutional capacity, and mobilizing critical investments.

"Achieving universal access to affordable and sustainable electricity is not only an infrastructure goal for Ethiopia, but also a foundation for economic growth and social development," Wali said.

Meanwhile, the meeting highlighted the private sector's "significant role" in the effective implementation of the next phase of the National Electrification Program, towards ensuring full electricity access throughout the East African country.

According to a recent World Bank finding, access to one source of electricity has reached 65 percent of the country's population in 2025, up from 57 percent in 2018. It attributed the growth primarily to off-grid solar expansion in rural areas. The report highlighted that energy demand is rising at an average annual rate of 12 percent, driven by rapid urbanization, population growth, and industrialization. Enditem