Otjiwarongo: The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, along with the Central North Regional Electricity Distributor (CENORED), on Friday commissioned the national joint electrification projects at Otjiwarongo. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Natangue Ithete, highlighted that the ministry and the Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs) had signed a service-level agreement under which the ministry and electricity distributors pooled resources, shared responsibilities, and agreed on clear targets.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Ithete stated that the collaboration with CENORED had been productive, with a significant amount allocated to electrify households. ‘The result with CENORED has been powerful, with N. dollars 12 million from the Ministry and over N. dollars 9 million from CENORED, we connected 561 households across four regions to date,’ he said.

Additionally, Ithete underscored that Namibia is part of the ‘Mission 300 Energy Compact’, an African effort to electrify 300 million households in sub-Saharan Africa by 2040. ‘For Namibia, this means 200,000 new households will be electrified by 2030, and 400,000 by 2040,’ he said.

Ithete stressed that some communities are too far from the main grid, posing challenges for the ministry in connecting them. In response, to tackle these challenges, the ministry and CENORED will launch an off-grid electrification programme which will complement the ‘solar revolving fund, through which households nationwide can apply for loans for solar systems,’ he said.

‘These solar systems are quality products designed to provide modern electricity to our communities living far from the grid. As such, we must take ownership and pride in them,’ Ithete added.

The minister concluded that development is a three-sided collaboration between the state, the private sector, and citizens, in which the government provides resources, direction, and leadership, while partners like CENORED deliver services and infrastructure, and citizens protect and safeguard the infrastructure. Ithete further urged citizens to use electricity wisely, report vandalism and theft, and further stressed that by 2040, no Namibian should live without electricity, because ‘Electricity is a need, not a luxury,’ he said.