Ethiopia aims to increase its electrification coverage across the country from the current 58.13 percent to 100 percent by 2025, an Ethiopian official said on Wednesday.

Speaking to Xinhua, Bizuneh Tolcha, Director of Public Relations and Communications Directorate at the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy, said the east African country has already embarked on an eight-year electrification road map from 2017 to 2025, to achieve universal electrification.

"The ministry needs 1.5 billion U.S. dollars for the first five years of the universal electrification program and already the World Bank has provided 375 million U.S. dollars in loans to undertake the electrification scheme," said Tolcha.

"The universal electrification plan will help Ethiopia achieve lower middle income target by 2025, boost the country's industrialization ambitions, help create mass employment opportunities for the youth," he said.

Tolcha also said Ethiopia plans to increase its current 4,280 MW electricity generation capacity to 17,300 MW by 2025, with power generation projects in hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass sectors.

"The biggest project that's expected to fulfill the 17,300 MW target is the 6,450 MW hydro project being constructed on Blue Nile river at a cost of around 4.7 billion U.S. dollars and currently 68 percent complete," he told Xinhua.

The Ethiopian government has embarked on massive energy projects across the country with a view to succeeding in its plans to make the East African country a light industry hub in Africa and by 2025.