Rwanda has further expanded access to electricity, with 85.4 percent of households now connected to electricity, up from 64.5% five years ago, as the country steps up efforts to achieve universal electricity access by 2029.
The progress was highlighted on Tuesday by State Minister for Infrastructure Armand Zingiro, who officially opened the sixth Conference and Exhibition on Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development.
The event brings together policymakers, energy experts, investors, innovators and private-sector players to discuss how renewable energy can accelerate Africa’s energy transition while supporting economic growth and sustainable development.
Zingiro said the increase in electricity access reflects Rwanda’s continued investment in expanding and improving its energy infrastructure, but noted that the country must maintain the momentum to ensure that every household can access reliable and affordable electricity.
“Our focus is no longer only on connecting households to electricity, but on ensuring that access to energy powers economic transformation, creates jobs and improves the lives of our people,” Zingiro said.
Rwanda is targeting universal electricity access by 2029, making the expansion of reliable and sustainable energy a key part of its development agenda.
The conference aims to provide a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, showcase new technologies and identify practical solutions for accelerating the adoption of renewable energy.
Discussions are expected to focus on energy access, renewable-energy technologies, investment and financing, innovation, climate resilience and the role of the private sector in developing sustainable energy systems.
Participants will also examine how African countries can attract more investment into renewable-energy projects and develop innovative financing models capable of supporting large-scale energy infrastructure.
The exhibition component will allow companies and innovators to showcase technologies and solutions designed to expand electricity access, improve energy efficiency and reduce dependence on carbon-intensive sources of energy.
For Rwanda, the challenge is increasingly shifting from simply connecting households to electricity to ensuring that access to energy contributes to wider economic transformation.
Reliable electricity is critical for businesses, industries, schools, health facilities, agriculture and digital services, while expanded renewable-energy use can also help reduce environmental pressures and strengthen the country’s resilience to climate change.
The discussions will therefore look at how energy access can be translated into productive use, job creation and improved livelihoods.
As Rwanda moves from 85.4 percent electricity access toward its 2029 universal-access target, the conference is expected to strengthen partnerships between governments, investors, development organisations and technology providers in an effort to turn Africa’s renewable-energy potential into practical projects and lasting development gains.
