By Lodu William Odiya
South Sudan’s government, through the Ministry of Finance and Planning, together with the continental financial body, the African Development Bank (AfDB), launched the South Sudan-Uganda Power Interconnection Project, ensuring the availability, reliability and affordability of electricity in South Sudan.
In a statement by the Finance Ministry, the move was considered part of East Africa’s Power Pool integration.
African Development Bank (AfDB) reiterated its support for South Sudan’s efforts to import power from the neighbouring Uganda.
“The power transmission project, being supported by development partners according to officials, is estimated to be at the cost of two hundred and sixty-seven million United States dollars ($267),” the statement partly read.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, during the launch of this project, the Undersecretary for Planning, Benjamin Ayali Koyongwa, thanked the African Development Bank, among other development partners, for the continued cooperation with the government of South Sudan in diverse areas.
For her part, African Development Bank’s representative, Fouzia Haji, described electricity as important for households and businesses.
Once completed, she said the project will foster economic development for both countries.
South Sudan has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world, with less than 10% of the population connected, primarily in urban areas, and relies heavily on diesel generators.
A recent policy brief by renewable energy experts, Dr Aban Arop Yor Ayik and Professor Nelson Ijumba, highlights how years of neglecting clean energy have worsened the situation. Millions of people in South Sudan still lack reliable electricity, severely affecting healthcare, education, and economic growth.
Experts are calling on the government and international partners to invest in a diversified, sustainable energy mix to unlock South Sudan’s potential.
In attendance was the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Energy and Dams, alongside other officials from the Ministry of Finance’s Aid Coordination Directorate