Slum electrification in Dakar

The following article is based on an interview with Benoît Dôme and describes the state of electrical supply in the Pikine slum outside Dakar. It indicates how a slum electrification project could be set up in this area. The article is published as an eBook and readers can scroll down to the different pages using the titles below. The full article is also available as a PDF for download.

Who is Benoît Dôme?

Benoît Dôme is the Director of Copper Benelux, which is part of the European Copper Association. Dôme is responsible within the International Copper Association for the Slum Electrification programme.

A fundamental step for all development

After successfully initiating a slum electrification project in Paraisópolis, São Paulo, Brazil, the International Copper Association visited Dakar to assess the electrical supply situation in the slums around that city. The conditions there are somewhat different: the population density of the slums is less intense and, in addition to straightforward theft, a system of illegal selling-on or sub-distribution of electricity is widespread. However, the result is similar: significant safety problems, high levels of energy loss, and an unreliable supply.