Garoua Improves Urban Lighting with Installation of Solar and LED Streetlights

As signatories of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), the City Council of Garoua, and the subdivisional councils of Garoua I, II and III joined forces to develop Cameroon’s first intercommunal climate action plan. The result of this collaboration was the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) of Garoua, a landmark achievement marking the end of a two-year process led by the City Council and supported by GIZ – CoM SSA, ICLEI Africa and Help Community. Once finalised, Garoua became a leading city in the fight against climate change, demonstrating a strong commitment to climate action and improved access to energy for its citizens.

One of the priority sectors identified in the SEACAP was street lighting. With support from CoM SSA, a detailed pre-feasibility study was carried out in 2021 to systematically map out the lighting needs and evaluate the technical options as well as the economic models. The study revealed the need to renovate over 2,000 existing streetlights and install approximately 1,000 new light points. It also highlighted the opportunity to integrate renewable energy, in particular solar power, into the public lighting system.

The overall investment required was estimated between €4-6 million. Key expected outcomes included:

• 78% reduction in energy consumption by replacing inefficient lamps with LED lamps.
• Generation of 277 MWh/year of renewable energy

Avoidance of 587 tonnes CO2 equivalent emissions per year

In 2022, a grant of 350,000 Euros was awarded to the City of Garoua as part of the Calouste Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity’s award to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM). The grant aimed to launch this vast public lighting project through:

• The acquisition, installation and monitoring of 100 new solar streetlights.
• The renovation of 212 existing streetlights with energy-efficient LED bulbs

Grant disbursement began in the fourth quarter of 2023. CoM SSA worked with the city to refine tendering documents to implement the project using the grant funding.

On 11 March 2025, 100 new solar streetlights were installed, and 212 existing streetlights were renovated with LED bulbs to confirm this milestone, bringing safer and more accessible streets to residents. The city emphasised that the project has supported improvements in safety and security due to improved lighting, as well as led to increased economic activities at night-time near the installed streetlights as indicated in the studies.

Mr. Mohamadou Bibrang, Head of the International Cooperation and Partnership Department at Communauté urbaine de Garoua, said: "The installation of these streetlights immediately addressed safety concerns and even sparked income-generating activities at night, bringing new opportunities to local populations".

With this milestone, the city is changing the narrative in Cameroon on access to clean energy. Nevertheless, there is a need for more action to completely implement the renovation and extension of the street lighting network in Garoua.