Rural Electrification of Selected Areas in the Northern Region of Ghana Viewed as a Minimum Spanning Tree Problem

The minimum spanning tree problem usually finds a spanning tree with the least total weight in a connected undirected graph. Minimum spanning trees have direct applications in the design of networks, including computer networks, telecommunications networks, transportation networks, water supply networks, and electrical grids. In this study, the concept of Minimum Spanning Tree Problem has been successfully used to analyze rural electrification of selected areas in the Savelugu Municipality and Mion Districts in the Northern Region of Ghana. Secondary data was collected from Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCO) in Tamale, Ghana. Networks of the selected areas in the Savelugu and Mion Districts in the Northern Region of Ghana were constructed. Kruskal’s algorithm has been employed to obtain the optimal electrification routes for the selected areas and Management Scientist Version 5 software used to confirm the optimal solutions. Post-optimality analysis has also been conducted to determine how variations of the distances between villages in the considered cases studies affect the optimal lengths of electrification routes. The government of Ghana should use the determined optimal routes as a guide to minimize the total cost of cables for future electrification of the selected areas. Other countries should apply techniques like the Kruskal’s algorithm to minimize the cost of cables involved in their electrification processes.