Côte d’Ivoire will launch a nationwide census by the end of March to identify localities that remain without electricity and assess the remaining needs to extend the national power grid.
The census aims to help authorities better target investments and accelerate progress toward universal access to electricity and drinking water, a key development priority for the West African country, Ouattara said.
The initiative comes after more than a decade of sustained investment in Côte d’Ivoire’s electricity sector, which has recorded rapid growth since 2011 following years of political instability.
According to the government’s 2011–2025 performance report, 95.67 percent of localities had been electrified by June 2025, up sharply from just 33.1 percent in 2011. Over the same period, installed power generation capacity more than doubled, rising from 1,391 megawatts to 3,019 megawatts.
The expansion was driven mainly by investments in thermal power plants and hydropower, as well as steady upgrades to transmission and distribution infrastructure. Authorities said the national grid was extended to around 7,700 kilometres of transmission lines and more than 67,000 kilometres of distribution networks.
Despite these gains, officials acknowledge that effective access to electricity for households still lags behind locality-level electrification. Many communities connected to the grid remain only partially served, while some households are unable to afford connection fees.
World Bank data show that electricity access in Côte d’Ivoire stood at about 72 percent in 2023, underscoring a persistent gap between infrastructure rollout and actual household connections, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.
The planned census is intended to provide a detailed picture of unconnected areas and households, allowing authorities to prioritise investments and reduce inefficiencies as the country pushes toward full coverage.
The effort also aligns with commitments Côte d’Ivoire recently made under its National Energy Compact, a framework designed to support universal access while accelerating the energy transition.
Under the compact, the government has pledged to provide electricity access to around 17 million additional people by 2030, a goal that would bring national access rates to 100 percent. Authorities have also committed to increasing the share of renewable energy in the power mix to 45 percent over the same period.
To meet these targets, the government plans to mobilise around $2 billion in private investment, reflecting a strategy that relies heavily on public-private partnerships to finance new generation capacity, grid extensions and off-grid solutions.
Energy officials say solar power will play an increasingly important role, particularly in remote areas where extending the national grid is costly. Several solar projects are already under development, including the Kong Solar project in the north of the country, which is expected to contribute to diversifying the energy mix.
Côte d’Ivoire has positioned itself as a regional electricity hub, exporting power to several neighbouring countries in West Africa. Expanding generation capacity while closing domestic access gaps remains a delicate balancing act as regional demand continues to grow.
The government has said improving electricity access is essential to supporting industrialisation, expanding small businesses and improving living standards, especially in rural communities.
However, challenges remain. Population growth, rapid urbanisation and rising demand for electricity continue to put pressure on infrastructure, while financing and affordability remain obstacles for low-income households.
Ouattara said the census would mark a key step toward more inclusive growth, allowing the government to better align infrastructure development with social needs.
With the 2030 deadline approaching, authorities say the coming years will be critical in translating infrastructure expansion into universal, reliable and affordable access to electricity across the country.
