Burkina Faso solar lamp factory to the rescue of rural dwellers

A solar lamp factory is bent on solving the numerous electricity problems faced by Burkinabes in rural and urban areas.

Inaugurated at Dédougou more than 200 kilometres away from Ouagadougou, the company behind the project says they will transform abundant sun rays to electricity and Burkinabes will bid farewell to power problems in the country.

“We are developing kits for schools which helps students to use lamps at night and then recharge in school everyday,” the General Manager of Lagazel, Arnaud Chabanne said.

The Lagazel factory will produce 1500 solar lamps every week and about a million between now and 2020 at the cost of between 20 and 33 dollars. The challenge for its developers is to locally manufacture its products and thus fight against unemployment.

“The creation of this solar lamps factory is a beautiful initiative which will help Burkinabes to have lights. As you have said, in producing this lamps at a lower cost, it will help in creating jobs at Dédougou and also train workers,” French Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Xavier Lapeyre said.

In rural areas only three percent of the population have access to electricity as against 59 percent in urban areas where power cuts remain frequent. The solar lamps market is therefore, a promising sector in Burkina Faso where there is abundant sunshine. Other countries in West Africa have expressed their desire to invest in renewable energy.