Renewable Energy Innovators celebrates two decades of lighting homes, powering businesses.

The locally owned company began its journey in September 2006 by manufacturing and renting rechargeable lighting packs and solar-charging stations in Allat, a village in the Adamawa Region. 

It has since expanded its operations into decentralised renewable-energy systems designed for communities beyond the national electricity grid.

Among the company’s latest projects is a 100-kWp solar mini-grid in Voundou, Mbangassina Subdivision of the Centre Region. The project has brought round-the-clock electricity closer to residents who previously depended mainly on generators.

Information presented during the commissioning ceremony showed that the installation is expected to supply electricity to about 1000 connections, with hope to impact 7000 people including households, businesses, health centres, shops and a filling station. 

REI Cameroon Chief Executive Officer, Jude Numfor, said the company’s progress has been built through years of research, experimentation and collaboration with communities and public institutions.

“Today, the Voundou mini-grid demonstrates what can be achieved when public and private actors work together around a shared vision and place their confidence in local companies. It also reflects the growing acceptance of decentralised renewable energy as a viable solution for reliable electricity access,” Numfor said.

From one village to 145 communities

The Voundou project is the first phase of REI Cameroon’s Project 145, which seeks to establish solar mini-grids in 145 villages across six regions by 2029. REI says the targeted communities represent less than one per cent of the more than 9,000 villages nationwide that remain without electricity.

A feasibility study for the programme began in March 2021 with support from the US Trade and Development Agency and IEEE Smart Village. 

According to Numfor, the three-year exercise provided technical and commercial information on rural electricity demand and supported the company’s application for permission to produce and distribute electricity in off-grid communities.

REI Cameroon says it subsequently obtained authorisation from the Electricity Sector Regulatory Agency, ARSEL, for a private solar mini-grid. The permit allows the company to generate and distribute electricity in off-grid communities, beginning with the Voundou pilot.

“Decentralised renewable energy can transform lives by enabling businesses to grow, strengthening healthcare and education services and improving living conditions. We are here for the long term to invest, innovate and collaborate in delivering sustainable energy solutions across Cameroon,” Numfor said.

Gov’t endorses REI Cameroon

Valérie Nkué, Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the Ministry of Water and Energy, commissioned the plant on behalf of the minister. He said large power infrastructure alone could not immediately reach every part of the country, particularly settlements located far from existing transmission and distribution networks.

“The project falls directly within the government’s current energy policy, particularly the National Energy Compact. It concerns the third pillar on distributed renewable energy and supports the construction of decentralised mini-grids for populations located far from the national electricity network,” Nkué said.

He added that solar mini-grids complement hydropower and thermal generation under the country’s energy diversification strategy. Figures presented during the commissioning ceremony put Cameroon’s overall electrification rate at 74 per cent and the rural rate below 40 per cent.

Electricity changing lives, business operations

The Second Deputy Mayor of Mbangassina, Idrissou Mboene Evouna, said the mini-grid had provided an alternative for a locality situated far from the main electricity network. Extending the central grid to Voundou, he said, would require considerable time and financial resources.

“This project has brought some relief because Voundou is far from the main electricity line. We welcome it and believe that, as residents understand its importance and connect to it, life in the community will begin to improve,” Mboene Evouna said.

He called on residents to use the infrastructure responsibly and ensure that the power plant, distribution network and electricity poles are protected against damage.

“We have taken a step forward by obtaining a project of this nature, and we must not allow vandalism to take us backwards. The population should protect the facility because it was installed to serve the community and support its development,” Mboene Evouna added.

Njemsi Emmanuel Kimah, an entrepreneur connected to the mini-grid, said the new electricity supply had improved operations at his workshop. He previously depended on a generator that could not power all his equipment at the same time, while fuel shortages often disrupted his work.

“I can now operate all five of my functional machines and the sanding machine at the same time. This has made our work easier, reduced the stress involved and should help us increase output as the business grows,” Kimah said.

Kimah said he had not experienced a power failure since connecting to the mini-grid, provided that he maintained sufficient credit on the prepaid system.

As it marks 20 years, REI Cameroon says its focus remains on investing, innovating and working with public authorities, financiers and communities to extend sustainable electricity services to other underserved areas.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3904 of Wednesday September 09, 2026