By Isatou Jawara
The Project Officer, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) for ‘Rural Electrification with Renewable Energy in The Gambia Mr Lamin Jammeh , has said that The Project seeks to condense greenhouse gas emissions target and promote the public-private partnership to invest in renewable energy. The Gambia Government is Co-Financing the Project with the allocation of 1.3 million euros and providing land allocation for the project intervention sites.
With a national electrification rate of an estimated 40 percent and with certain rural areas having an electrification rate as low as 6 percent, the guiding principle for the design of the NAMA is to increase or provide access to electricity across the country’s rural communities.
According to project Director Jammeh, the NAMA Project will benefit more than 145,000 households in both NBR and URR through solar energy electricity for vulnerable communities. The project is aligned with government policies and National Electricity Roadmap 2021 to 2040.
Mr Jammeh further explained that , the Project Management Team of the NAMA Project together with officials from NAWEC, Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Environment, and UNDP recently, embark on three days of monitoring visits to the project sites in NBR and URR and also pay courtesy calls to both Governors to update them about the current developments.
“The overall target of the NAMA is to support The Gambia to achieve the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP). The NAMA is in line with the country’s prime objective for the energy sector to ensure adequate supply of energy at affordable prices”, he noted.
The outcomes of the NAMA, he said with regards to Sustainable Development, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Reductions, and Green Growth are strongly interrelated building blocks as a pathway of a change framework that shall ensure that the project is fully embedded in the National Development Plan.
Deputy Governor of North Bank Region, Hon Musa Kanteh said that The Government should adopt the PPP strategy by encouraging state-owned enterprises to invest in the energy sector.
He said that the NBR Region is now fully energy sufficient with electricity with the NAMA Project which will pave a way forward for economic growth in the region.
The NAMA for ‘Rural Electrification with Renewable Energy in The Gambia’ He went on will offer the country the opportunity to accelerate access to electricity through small-scale, off-grid, and stand-alone projects, as well as income-generating opportunities for the local population.
He said the project is fully embedded within The Gambia’s Vision National Development Plan (NDP) and it will contribute directly to the country’s NDC by providing stable solar energy throughout the day for businesses in Farafenni and Basse.