November 4, 2026 (Vanguard/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
As Rwanda races to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, new opportunities for regional cooperation could help the country overcome some of the financial and technical challenges standing in the way of that ambition.
The prospects emerged during a regional workshop on Tuesday, November 3, where energy experts and development partners examined how countries in Eastern and Southern Africa could use better planning, technology and coordinated investment to expand electricity access at a lower cost.
At the centre of the discussions was the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) initiative, a $5 billion financing programme designed to accelerate electricity access and promote cleaner energy across the region.
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Running until 2030, the initiative aims to provide electricity to 100 million people and clean cooking access to 20 million people in more than 20 countries. It also seeks to mobilise an additional $10 billion in public and private investment over seven years.
Bernard Dzawanda, Director of Infrastructure and Logistics at COMESA Institutions, said Rwanda is among the countries eligible to benefit from the programme.
"Rwanda is one of the eligible countries that can benefit from this programme, and we are more than happy to introduce any kind of support based on requests from the officials," he said.
He explained that countries seeking support must identify priority energy projects, establish their financing needs and engage with the programme's implementing partners to develop proposals capable of attracting investment.
COMESA is ready to work with Rwandan authorities to identify projects that could accelerate electricity access and renewable energy development, he added.
The initiative brings together the World Bank Group, COMESA, governments, utilities, private companies, development partners and climate financiers.
COMESA also operates a regional platform with a $50 million allocation to help governments and private developers prepare investment-ready energy projects.
Private companies involved in distributed renewable energy and clean cooking can seek financing through the ASCENT Regional Energy Access Financing Platform, implemented by the Trade and Development Bank.
Rwanda has already designed a $400 million ASCENT energy project intended to increase access to modern energy for households, enterprises and public institutions while improving the efficiency of electricity services. The project is intended to receive financing under the initiative.
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Making investments count
Beyond securing financing, experts emphasised that better planning would be essential to ensuring that available resources translate into affordable and sustainable electricity connections.
Dzawanda said governments need reliable geographical data and detailed cost assessments to determine the most effective ways of electrifying underserved communities.
"You have to choose the most efficient way, with the lowest cost, to electrify a community according to the best scenarios," he said.
He identified three possible approaches: extending existing electricity networks, installing independent solar systems and exploring cross-border electricity supplies where economically viable.
For Rwanda, the opportunity comes as the country pursues universal energy access by 2030 through a fully costed $3 billion investment plan, including the mobilisation of $1 billion from the private sector.
The plan targets an increase in installed electricity generation capacity from 466 megawatts to 1,066 megawatts. The country is also working towards raising renewable energy's share of its future energy mix to 60 per cent.
Jovine Nsekanabanga of the Energy Development Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of Rwanda Energy Group, said the regional initiative presented an opportunity to learn from other countries and strengthen engagement with development partners.
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"Rwanda has made considerable progress in electricity planning. We already have several plans in place, including least-cost population electrification planning, transmission planning and distribution planning," he said.
However, Nsekanabanga stressed the need to improve data collection and ensure that different national energy plans are aligned to guide investors and implementing institutions.
He pointed to rapid population growth, industrial expansion, particularly in mining and manufacturing, electric mobility and digitalisation as factors increasing demand for electricity.
"We must identify possible least-cost investments that we can adopt. We also need to determine how to secure our energy supply and attract financing from development partners, the private sector and other stakeholders," he said.
He added that accurate geospatial data could help authorities identify households best served through national grid connections and those requiring off-grid solutions.
Technology and regional cooperation
The workshop, organised through cooperation involving COMESA, the World Bank and Climate Compatible Growth, focused on strengthening the use of geospatial technologies in electricity planning.
Eastern and Southern Africa account for more than half of the world's population without electricity and nearly a quarter of those without access to clean cooking.
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Dana Rysankova, a Lead Energy Specialist at the World Bank, said geographic information systems, remote sensing, spatial modelling and data analytics could help governments map existing infrastructure, assess electricity demand and identify the most affordable solutions for underserved communities.
She highlighted emerging technologies such as mesh grids, which provide an alternative between individual solar home systems and conventional mini-grids.
Vivien Foster, International Partnerships Lead at Climate Compatible Growth, emphasised the need to involve universities and policymakers in developing the expertise required to implement national energy plans.
Kenta Usui, a Senior Energy Specialist at the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, stressed the importance of identifying institutions requiring electricity and coordinating energy planning with sectors such as health, agriculture, education and telecommunications.
For Rwanda, the potential benefits of regional cooperation will depend on how effectively the country turns its energy priorities into well-prepared projects capable of attracting investment and delivering reliable, affordable electricity to underserved communities.
COMTEX_900079246/2029/2026-11-04T06:05:17
