Energy Access in Niger

=Overview= The Nigerien National Energy Report, released in 2007, showed that only 23 percent of the population live in communities with access to electricity. The report showed a significant urban bias, with only 8 percent of rural communities enjoying access to electricity. Urban centres were better served - with 60 percent of the residents of the capital Niamey having access electricity. With limited access to electricity, many Nigerien communities rely on wood fuels.

=Government Initiatives= In 2010 the OneWorld Network reported that Niger's National Strategy for Access to Modern Energy was aiming to bring electricity to 66% of the population by 2015. They cited the construction of the Kandadji dam (at a cost of over US$ 200 million) as the start of push to realise the potential for hydro electric power. Moscow-based Zarubezhvodstroy won an 84.7 billion CFA franc (approximately US $170 million) contract in 2011 to build the dam on the Niger River. President Issoufou has said that despite delays he hopes the project will be completed by 2015.

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