Assessing the Effectiveness of Rural Electrification on Socioeconomic Development: A Case Study of Mwalubemba Ward in Chongwe District

This study assessed the effectiveness of rural electrification initiatives on household-level socioeconomic outcomes in Mwalubemba Ward, Chongwe District, Zambia. A mixed-methods research design was employed, involving structured questionnaires administered to 60 purposively selected households. With the aid of descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, chi-square tests, and thematic analysis, the data generated from the respondents were analyzed. Among others, the results of the analysis reveal that rural electrification is a decisive driver of socioeconomic transformation. The study found that 88.3% of households reported increased income, 85% started new income-generating activities, and 85% reported the creation of new employment opportunities, with a chi-square test (χ² = 60.0, p < 0.001) confirming a statistically significant association. Electrification more than doubled children's average study hours from 1.57 to 3.43 hours per day and led to significant improvements in health services (46.7%) and education (51.7%). Furthermore, 85% of respondents reported that women benefited differently, primarily through entrepreneurship. Thus, the study concludes that rural electrification is key to fostering economic diversification, human capital development, and gender equity. However, challenges such as high tariffs (18.3%), unreliable supply (16.7%), and grid overloads (15%) persist. Therefore, this paper recommends grid reinforcement, equitable subsidy mechanisms, targeted support for women-led businesses, and the scaling-up of renewable energy integration to consolidate and expand these gains for inclusive development.