The Malawi Electricity Access Project (MEAP), operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy, has today finalized agreements with five off-grid solar firms. This development aims to extend access to electricity to around 200 thousand households.
During the signing ceremony in Blantyre, Engineer Alfonso Chikuni, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, emphasized that the agreement is set to facilitate the widespread distribution and sale of solar products throughout the nation.
Chikuni expressed, “This initiative will propel sustainable and inclusive energy accessibility in Malawi.”
Hengjia Meng, the World Bank Project Task Team Lead for MEAP, added that this project presents an exciting opportunity for a larger segment of Malawians to gain access to electricity. Meng lamented the current situation, highlighting that only 12 percent of Malawi’s population currently enjoys such access, a stark contrast to neighboring countries.
The project, funded by the World Bank with an allocation of $20 million (equivalent to K21.8 billion), aims to deliver electricity to 200 thousand households with low incomes across the entirety of the country.
