admin | October 23, 2025
News Brief
In northern Cameroon, new solar power plants are transforming electricity access in towns like Guider and Maroua, long dependent on the aging Lagdo hydroelectric dam. Recurring droughts had reduced Lagdo’s output, but since 2023, the addition of 18-megawatt solar plants has stabilized supply and reduced blackouts. Residents say power is now more reliable, boosting local businesses and daily life. Experts note that combining solar with existing hydro systems can strengthen energy resilience and support communities facing climate-related power challenges.
In northern Cameroon, the Lagdo hydroelectric dam has long been the primary energy source. But recurring droughts and silting of the Benue River have reduced its capacity, especially during the dry season. Today, solar energy is helping to stabilize electricity supply in the region, bringing hope to residents.
Mr. Alioum is a metalworker in Guider, a town of 500,000 people in northern Cameroon. He says he no longer relies on his fuel-powered generator as much as before.
He says, “Since the rains returned, there are fewer blackouts. During the dry season, we still have outages, but they don’t last as long as before.”
Mr. Alioum attributes the improvement to new photovoltaic solar power plants in the region and better rainfall which has helped boost output from the Lagdo dam. Guider hosts one of these solar plants, which began operation in September 2023. Another plant opened in Maroua, 100 kilometres north of Guider. Each plant has a capacity of 18 megawatts and feeds into the Northern Interconnected Network, which powers Cameroon’s three northernmost regions.
Abdouraman Saïdou is deputy mayor of Guider. He says the new solar plants have made a real difference.
He says, “From the moment these plants started producing, we saw an improvement in electricity delivery. Before, we only had electricity five hours a day. It has really changed people’s lives—even economically.”
In September 2025, Cameroon launched a project to expand the Guider and Maroua solar plants to add 28.6 megawatts of new capacity by 2026. Mr. Saïdou believes this expansion could solve the region’s power problems.
He says, “The government says these plants will improve electricity service in the north, and we can already see the benefits.”
Cameroon’s public electricity provider, Energy of Cameroon (Eneo), says the solar plants will reduce carbon emissions by 37,000 tonnes per year and help fight climate change in the arid north.
Mr. Enok Louayakba is a renewable energy engineer based in Garoua. He says solar energy is well-suited to the north.
He says, “There is strong sunlight in the north. You don’t need many panels to create a system with good output. That’s different from the south, where sunlight is weaker and you need more panels.”
His company has been providing solar installations for nearly a decade. They work with local councils and households to provide solar power as a backup when conventional power systems fail.
Mr. Louayakba says, “Solar is good for small needs. But it can’t meet big energy demands alone. Still, with Guider and Maroua, power supply has improved.”
He explains that in the dry season, the Lagdo dam often runs just one generator and cannot meet the region’s demand. But during the day, solar plants inject up to 30 megawatts into the grid, helping to reduce blackouts.
Built in the 1980s, the Lagdo dam once produced 72 megawatts. Today, it operates at half that capacity due to climate-related issues such as river silting and extended dry seasons that can last up to eight months.
Besides Lagdo, Guider and Maroua, the north also has thermal power stations in Djamboutou and Ngaoundéré, and smaller plants in Poli and Tcholliré. But the total supply in the north is just over 100 megawatts—far below demand, which ranges between 200 and 250 megawatts. Large industries such as cotton and cement production require significant power.
The state-owned Electricity Development Corporation (EDC), which advises the government on energy matters, plans to build new hydro and solar plants in the Adamawa region. These will be located on the Djerem River near Mbakaou, where water flow is more stable.
Ibrahim Haman Tizi is head of public relations at EDC. He says the project includes a 54-megawatt mini hydro plant, a 234-megawatt main hydro plant, and a 111-megawatt solar plant, with a transformer station in Tibati to link the northern and southern electricity networks.
Mr. Haman declares, “We need to use sites with stable water like Tibati, and combine hydro and solar. That’s more reliable than hydro and thermal.”
EDC says the new projects will begin in 2026 and will not cause major environmental or social issues, since they will be built on land already owned by the state.
Mr. Haman says, “We already have a reservoir and no population needs to be displaced. There will be an environmental and social management plan, and we’ll also support the community with infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, residents across Guider, Garoua, Maroua, and Ngaoundéré are already noticing fewer power outages since the rains returned in June. With the expansion of solar capacity and new hydro projects on the horizon, Cameroon hopes to bring lasting energy stability to its northern regions.
Photo: A pylon built by the National Electric Power Transmission Company (SONATREL) near the Guider solar power plant. Image by Yannick Kenné for Mongabay.
This story is based on an article written by Yannick Kenné for Mongabay, titled “L’énergie solaire renforce l’hydroélectricité en déclin au nord du Cameroun.” To read the full story, go to : https://fr.mongabay.com/2025/10/lenergie-solaire-renforce-lhydroelectricite-en-declin-au-nord-du-cameroun/