The present intervention relates to the first phase of the Project to Strengthen the Structures of the Electricity System and Access to Electricity (PROSER I). It's an investment project relating to the extension and densification of electricity distribution networks in rural areas. The project falls within the National Rural Electrification Programme (PRONER), which mainly seeks to enhance the country's energy capacity and improve the living conditions of the population. The PROSER I provides for the construction of 6,460 km of 33 kV lines, 3,419 km of LV lines and 1394 MV/LV rural distribution substations. These localities fall under the category of localities with less than 500 inhabitants that were not covered by the first three operations financed by the Bank and other development partners. The electrification of these localities under the project will increase the national coverage rate to 100% will seek to secure power supply by installing additional transformers in eleven (11) substations in PROSER I project areas. PROSER II will be financed in 2021. The total project cost is estimated at EUR 156.03 million, to which the Bank will contribute EUR 62.35 million through a sovereign loan from the AfDB window to the Government of Cote d'Ivoire. The project will be implemented over a period of 48 months. PROSER I consists of three components, namely: A) Electricity infrastructure and social connections, B) Institutional support and C) Project management.

The project's development objective is to strengthen and develop the Ivorian power system facilities to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy. Specifically, the project aims at extending the medium voltage networks to electrify 1,388 rural localities, and at securing eleven (11) power transmission substations to ensure continuous power supply for the population.

PROSER I covers 1,388 localities in eleven (11) districts, namely: Comoe, Denguele, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra, Woroba, Savanes, Vallee de Bandama, Yamoussoukro and Zanzan. The direct project beneficiaries comprise 113,838 households that will be directly connected to the electricity network and will thus have access to electricity. There are also several dozen schools and training centres in the project area that will be direct beneficiaries as a result of their connection to the electricity network under the project. In addition to the direct beneficiaries mentioned above, the entire population living in the neighbouring localities will benefit from the indirect effects of the project, thanks in particular to the improvement in the quality of basic public social services in these localities (education, training, health, hygiene and sanitation, drinking water) with the availability of modern and more reliable energy to ensure their proper functioning.

KITANDALA LUHANA Raymond

r.kitandala@afdb.org

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/.