WB LAUNCHES LIGHTING INITIATIVE

THE World Bank Group has launched an initiative to provide
modern lighting to the 250 million people in Sub-Saharan
Africa who have no access to electricity.

Jointly managed by the World Bank and IFC, Lighting
Africa aims to develop market conditions for the supply and
distribution of new, non-fossil fuel lighting products, such as
fluorescent light bulbs and light emitting diodes, in rural and
urban areas of the region that are not connected to the electricity
grid.

The “energy poor” in Africa spend about 17 billion US
dollars a year on fuel-based lighting sources, such as kerosene lamps, that are costly, inefficient, and provide poor quality light while polluting and posing fire hazards.

For these consumers, lighting is often the most expensive
item among their energy uses, typically accounting for 10 to
15 per cent of total household income.

There is a potentially huge market for modern lighting
products that are safe and reliable, that provide higher-quality
light, and that are cost-competitive with fuel-based lamps, and powered by renewable energy or mechanical sources.

Lighting Africa, which is supported by a number of donors, including the Global Environment Facility, seeks to
attract the international lighting industry, as well as local suppliers and service providers, to this market.

Lars Thunell, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO,said, "In partnership with the private sector, IFC will help develop sustainable business models to supply good quality lighting to the poorest of the poor in Africa. Our goal is to give families and small business owners clean, modern, and
affordable alternatives to fossil fuel lamps."

More than 350 companies have already expressed interest
in the initiative.

SOURCE: DAILY NEWS