Ethiopia: AfDB loan to extend electricity access to businesses

The African Development Bank (AfDB) on 15 July announced the approval of a $105m loan for a project to extend access to power to industry and small businesses in the Tigray and Afar regions. The funds will go towards the Mekele-Dallol and Semera-Afdera Power Transmission Supply for Industrial Development and Access Scale-up Project, along with $18m from the Ethiopian government. Ethiopia is targeting a national access rate of 90% by 2020 and received a $200m loan from the World Bank for the Electricity Network Reinforcement and Expansion Project in May.