Four towns to benefit from rural electrification project

The project launched by the communes of Bamendjou, Baham, Bangou and Batié aims to promote sustainable economic development in 2022. In addition to the electrification, the project intends to build road infrastructure connecting the principal economic poles.

The Intercommunity Association of the Highlands (Sihplateaux) and the society of production and distribution of electrical energy, the energy of Cameroon (Eneo) recently signed an agreement to launch a campaign of connection in the Highlands; a ceremony in which the four majors concerned took part as well as chiefs of the locality, representatives of Feicom and the European Union.

The agreement which is required to fuel development in the municipalities of Bamendjou, Baham, Bangou and Batié will provide connections to link thousands of household in these communes to electricity. A project expected to take effect at the end of the month of July 2015.

The contract signed by the president of the Intercommunity Association of the Highlands, Isidore Teguia, on behalf of the four decentralised communities intends to give a boost to the implementation of the rural "Electrification" component of the project of development of rural electrification in the department of the Hauts-plateaux.

"This is a project that puts together the State, the European Union, the commune of Saint Germain - au-mont-d'Or and communities of Bamendjou, Baham, Bangou and Batié." As explained by the Mayor of Baham, also President of Sihplateaux, the project also benefits from support of inter-communal equipment Fund (Feicom) with the Ministry of Agriculture and rural development (Minader) as Chair of the Steering Committee.

"Eneo Cameroon (Aes-Sonel initially) has taken an active part in the project ensuring alongside the Cameroonian law firm of consulting engineers Eed, monitoring and control of the work." said the Director-general of Eneo. Albert Ledoux Yondjeu, in charge of communication and crisis within Eneo welcomed the success of this 'innovative ' model.

The same source indicated that almost 8 thousand requests for connections have already been registered to date. "On the eight thousand candidates, almost 4,500 have already paid a deposit of 30 thousand Cfa Francs." Within the company, is said to have launched the process for evaluating the applications. The various stakeholders of the project argue that, not less than one thousand quotes are available.

After the signing of the contract between the communities of the Highlands and the Eneo company, they will proceed with the evaluation of applications and the production of the final specifications of connection. this will make available the grant for the project team to start working on the connections.

Ultimately, the project aims at the connection of at least 70% of the population by 2015 compared to 10% who had the opportunity to benefit from it.