**Mozambique’s Electricity Utility Targets 420,000 New Connections by 2026**
Maputo, Mozambique – Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), the state‑owned electricity provider, announced plans to add at least 420,000 new electricity connections by the end of 2026. The expansion is expected to bring electricity to roughly two million additional people across the country.
The target was disclosed by António Manda, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME), during a ceremony in Maputo marking EDM’s 49th anniversary. Manda said that, as of the event, 22.7 million Mozambicans – about 66.9 % of the national population – have access to electricity, up from approximately 9.8 million in 2019. He noted that the increase of 12.9 million beneficiaries over the past six years reflects the growth of the national grid and government initiatives aimed at achieving universal electricity access by 2030.
The planned connections are part of the “Energy for All Programme,” launched in 2018. The programme seeks to expand the national grid, as well as to install mini‑grids and solar systems in rural and peri‑urban areas.
All 11 provincial capitals and 154 district headquarters are already electrified, while work continues to extend service to additional administrative posts. To date, 361 district headquarters have electricity access.
Joaquim Henrique Ou‑chim, Chairman of EDM, announced the creation of a rapid‑response unit to address natural disasters, a measure introduced ahead of the country’s rainy season, which runs from October to April. He highlighted the challenges posed by infrastructure vandalism and electricity theft, and reaffirmed EDM’s commitment to the government’s universal access goal.
During the most recent rainy season, EDM reported losses of 2.3 million metical and required US$9.3 million for repairs to damaged infrastructure. Ou‑chim called on the company’s provincial directorates to intensify efforts to bring reliable, affordable electricity services closer to communities.
The utility’s expansion plans align with Mozambique’s broader objective of achieving universal electricity access by 2030.
Article and image source: allafrica.com
