Household access to the public electricity grid in Cameroon: Analysis of connection determinants

Abstract

This article empirically examines the determinants of household access to the public electricity grid in Cameroon, using data from a survey conducted by NIS (2014) on a sample of 46560 households. The key findings reveal that social class, housing tenure, education level, area of dwelling, and distance to the electric pole all have a substantial (p 0.001) influence on public grid connection. According to multinomial logistic regression estimates, the main significant predictors of individual connection to the public grid are: residing in a villa (43.27%), higher education (34.91%), and home ownership (34.27%). Furthermore, the main significant predictors of connection without a personal subscription or through intermediaries are: residing in a concession area (42.44%), living in the western region (35.13%), and poverty (25.60%). Finally, the male gender (15.55%) and the home's distance from the electric pole of more than 8 m (9.24%) are the primary predictors of direct connections without a meter. Our findings suggest that increasing the household's access to its own housing and increasing educational attainment could raise formal demand for individual grid subscriptions. Increased investment in electricity distribution infrastructure, particularly in outlying areas, would also benefit public authorities.