Lights on for Omauni school
Last week, Shatipamba Combined School in Omauni in the Okongo constituency of the Ohangwena Region celebrated its connection to the NamPower electricity grid.
At the official inauguration of the Ohangwena electrification project on Wednesday, deputy minister of mines and energy, Kornelia Shilunga, underlined that electricity is a basic need.
Shilunga said that the ministry is working on establishing an electrification support mechanism aimed at putting structures in place to accelerate the rate of electrification countrywide.
She said the desired outcome, under the Harambee Prosperity Plan, is to increase local electricity generation capacity and to provide electricity to schools, health facilities, and public institutions in addition to rural electrification.
Big goals
"This Ohangwena project has provided electricity to various schools from four constituencies and runs an overhead power line for a total distance of 63 kilometres. Surrounding business areas, churches, kindergartens, community growth points, youth centres, clinics, and government buildings have also benefitted," Shilunga said.
The deputy minister added that the ministry has set a target to electrify all schools and government institutions by 2025.
"This is an enormous undertaking because Namibia is a large and sparsely populated country, and connecting all the schools to the national electricity grid is not always technically or economically viable," she said.
Shilunga said electricity is a modern necessity and should be available in every village, farm and settlement.
"However, Namibia’s vast space and low population density make this noble ambition challenging and costly," she said.
Beneficiaries
Benny Hanghome, NamPower manager for electrification and distribution, said NamPower identified Ohangwena as the next beneficiary of its rural electrification investments last year.
He said Ohangwena's electrification project was allocated a total of N$17.5 million and involves the construction of medium and low-voltage networks in different areas of the region.
He said the growth points that were electrified are Okanghalulwena, Onghalulu East, Omauni-A and Omauni-B.
“This system consists of a 38-kilometre medium voltage network and a five-kilometre low voltage distribution network. Eight transformers were installed in the Okongo area,” he said.
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At the official inauguration of the Ohangwena electrification project on Wednesday, deputy minister of mines and energy, Kornelia Shilunga, underlined that electricity is a basic need.
Shilunga said that the ministry is working on establishing an electrification support mechanism aimed at putting structures in place to accelerate the rate of electrification countrywide.
She said the desired outcome, under the Harambee Prosperity Plan, is to increase local electricity generation capacity and to provide electricity to schools, health facilities, and public institutions in addition to rural electrification.
Big goals
"This Ohangwena project has provided electricity to various schools from four constituencies and runs an overhead power line for a total distance of 63 kilometres. Surrounding business areas, churches, kindergartens, community growth points, youth centres, clinics, and government buildings have also benefitted," Shilunga said.
The deputy minister added that the ministry has set a target to electrify all schools and government institutions by 2025.
"This is an enormous undertaking because Namibia is a large and sparsely populated country, and connecting all the schools to the national electricity grid is not always technically or economically viable," she said.
Shilunga said electricity is a modern necessity and should be available in every village, farm and settlement.
"However, Namibia’s vast space and low population density make this noble ambition challenging and costly," she said.
Beneficiaries
Benny Hanghome, NamPower manager for electrification and distribution, said NamPower identified Ohangwena as the next beneficiary of its rural electrification investments last year.
He said Ohangwena's electrification project was allocated a total of N$17.5 million and involves the construction of medium and low-voltage networks in different areas of the region.
He said the growth points that were electrified are Okanghalulwena, Onghalulu East, Omauni-A and Omauni-B.
“This system consists of a 38-kilometre medium voltage network and a five-kilometre low voltage distribution network. Eight transformers were installed in the Okongo area,” he said.
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