THE handover of 85 rural electrification projects worth K463 million from Rural Electrification Authority (REA) to Zesco marks another significant step in Zambia’s journey towards inclusive development and universal access to electricity.
For decades, rural electrification has been one of the most effective tools for reducing inequality between urban and rural communities. Electricity is no longer a luxury reserved for towns and cities. It is a necessity that drives education, healthcare, agriculture, entrepreneurship and industrial growth. That is why the successful implementation and handover of these projects deserves recognition.
The projects, undertaken over the past five years across the country, are tangible evidence of
Government’s commitment to ensuring that development reaches every corner of Zambia. Behind every power-line erected and every transformer installed are communities whose lives are being transformed. Electricity changes lives in ways that are both visible and invisible.
It enables pupils to study after sunset and improves learning conditions in schools. It allows health facilities to preserve medicines and vaccines while providing critical services around the clock. It supports farmers seeking to increase productivity through irrigation and value addition. It empowers small businesses to expand operations and create jobs. In short, electricity creates opportunities.
This is why Secretary to Cabinet Patrick Kangwa was right in describing the projects as a milestone in Government’s efforts to improve livelihoods and expand access to essential services.
Rural electrification is one of the clearest examples of development translating from policy documents into real benefits for ordinary citizens.
Particularly encouraging is the progress being recorded by REA. According to the authority, 145 electricity projects were implemented between 2022 and 2025, representing an average of 36 projects annually compared to 13 projects in previous years.
This acceleration demonstrates that Zambia is making meaningful strides towards its goal of universal access to electricity by 2030.
The target remains ambitious.
With approximately 2.5 million connections still required to achieve universal access, substantial work lies ahead.
However, progress achieved thus far by the UPND government shows that the goal is attainable if the current momentum is maintained.
The handover to Zesco is equally important. Infrastructure development is only one part of the equation. Long-term success depends on effective operation, maintenance and sustainability of the assets created. Communities that receive electricity must continue to enjoy reliable services long after projects are completed.
The partnership between REA and Zesco, therefore, reflects a practical and coordinated approach to development. REA focuses on expanding access through infrastructure investment while Zesco assumes responsibility for integrating the projects into the national grid and ensuring their continued operation.
Such institutional collaboration is essential if Government investments are to deliver lasting value.
Another noteworthy development is REA’s intention to connect 500 public schools to electricity this year. This initiative aligns perfectly with Zambia’s aspirations of improving educational outcomes and preparing young people for participation in a modern economy.
A child in a rural school deserves the same opportunities as a child in an urban classroom.
Access to electricity helps narrow that gap.
However, as the country celebrates these achievements, there is one challenge that cannot be ignored: vandalism.
Zesco’s concern about the destruction and theft of electricity infrastructure should serve as a warning to all citizens. Every act of vandalism undermines development efforts and imposes unnecessary costs on the nation.
Resources that could be used to connect new communities are instead diverted towards repairing damaged infrastructure.Protecting public assets is, therefore, not solely the
responsibility of utility companies or law enforcement agencies.
It is a collective responsibility.
Communities that benefit from electrification projects must become their first line of defence.
The success of Zambia’s rural electrification programme ultimately depends not only on Government investment but also on public ownership and stewardship.
As the country moves closer towards its 2030 target, the focus should remain on expanding access, improving reliability and ensuring sustainability. Rural electrification must continue to be viewed not merely as an infrastructure project but as a catalyst for economic transformation and social progress.
Development is often measured through statistics and financial figures. Yet the true impact of these 85 projects will be found in the lives they improve: the pupil studying under electric light, the health worker providing better care, the farmer increasing productivity and the entrepreneur building a business.
These are the real dividends of electrification. The handover of these projects is, therefore, not the end of a process. It is the beginning of a new chapter for thousands of Zambians whose futures will be brighter because power has finally reached their communities.
Indeed, by extending electricity to rural Zambia, Government is not simply connecting homes to the grid; it is connecting people to opportunity, prosperity and hope.
Rural electrification: Reducing inequality
THE handover of 85 rural electrification projects worth K463 million from Rural Electrification Authority (REA) to Zesco marks another significant step in Zambia’s journey towards inclusive development and universal access to electricity.
For decades, rural electrification has been one of the most effective tools for reducing inequality between urban and rural communities. Electricity is no longer a luxury reserved for towns and cities. It is a necessity that drives education, healthcare, agriculture, entrepreneurship and industrial growth. That is why the successful implementation and handover of these projects deserves recognition.
The projects, undertaken over the past five years across the country, are tangible evidence of
Government’s commitment to ensuring that development reaches every corner of Zambia. Behind every power-line erected and every transformer installed are communities whose lives are being transformed. Electricity changes lives in ways that are both visible and invisible.
It enables pupils to study after sunset and improves learning conditions in schools. It allows health facilities to preserve medicines and vaccines while providing critical services around the clock. It supports farmers seeking to increase productivity through irrigation and value addition. It empowers small businesses to expand operations and create jobs. In short, electricity creates opportunities.
This is why Secretary to Cabinet Patrick Kangwa was right in describing the projects as a milestone in Government’s efforts to improve livelihoods and expand access to essential services.
Rural electrification is one of the clearest examples of development translating from policy documents into real benefits for ordinary citizens.
Particularly encouraging is the progress being recorded by REA. According to the authority, 145 electricity projects were implemented between 2022 and 2025, representing an average of 36 projects annually compared to 13 projects in previous years.
This acceleration demonstrates that Zambia is making meaningful strides towards its goal of universal access to electricity by 2030.
The target remains ambitious.
With approximately 2.5 million connections still required to achieve universal access, substantial work lies ahead.
However, progress achieved thus far by the UPND government shows that the goal is attainable if the current momentum is maintained.
The handover to Zesco is equally important. Infrastructure development is only one part of the equation. Long-term success depends on effective operation, maintenance and sustainability of the assets created. Communities that receive electricity must continue to enjoy reliable services long after projects are completed.
The partnership between REA and Zesco, therefore, reflects a practical and coordinated approach to development. REA focuses on expanding access through infrastructure investment while Zesco assumes responsibility for integrating the projects into the national grid and ensuring their continued operation.
Such institutional collaboration is essential if Government investments are to deliver lasting value.
Another noteworthy development is REA’s intention to connect 500 public schools to electricity this year. This initiative aligns perfectly with Zambia’s aspirations of improving educational outcomes and preparing young people for participation in a modern economy.
A child in a rural school deserves the same opportunities as a child in an urban classroom.
Access to electricity helps narrow that gap.
However, as the country celebrates these achievements, there is one challenge that cannot be ignored: vandalism.
Zesco’s concern about the destruction and theft of electricity infrastructure should serve as a warning to all citizens. Every act of vandalism undermines development efforts and imposes unnecessary costs on the nation.
Resources that could be used to connect new communities are instead diverted towards repairing damaged infrastructure.Protecting public assets is, therefore, not solely the
responsibility of utility companies or law enforcement agencies.
It is a collective responsibility.
Communities that benefit from electrification projects must become their first line of defence.
The success of Zambia’s rural electrification programme ultimately depends not only on Government investment but also on public ownership and stewardship.
As the country moves closer towards its 2030 target, the focus should remain on expanding access, improving reliability and ensuring sustainability. Rural electrification must continue to be viewed not merely as an infrastructure project but as a catalyst for economic transformation and social progress.
Development is often measured through statistics and financial figures. Yet the true impact of these 85 projects will be found in the lives they improve: the pupil studying under electric light, the health worker providing better care, the farmer increasing productivity and the entrepreneur building a business.
These are the real dividends of electrification. The handover of these projects is, therefore, not the end of a process. It is the beginning of a new chapter for thousands of Zambians whose futures will be brighter because power has finally reached their communities.
Indeed, by extending electricity to rural Zambia, Government is not simply connecting homes to the grid; it is connecting people to opportunity, prosperity and hope.