The Ups and Downs of Sustainable Energy Development in Africa

Renewable energy offers a huge opportunity for many African countries to overcome gaps in electricity production while also following the path towards a sustainable energy future. More than 622 million people in Africa are living without access to electricity, including about two thirds of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa; there are quite a number of challenges that hamper the provision of modern energy services in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes:

-          Inadequate Energy Infrastructure

-          Scarcity of Funds for Investments in Energy Development

-          Lack of Good Governance and non-transparent Government Transactions

-          Inadequate Indigenous Human and Manufacturing Capacities

-          Inadequacy of Appropriate National Energy Policies and Regulatory Mechanisms

                    Renewable energy technologies have an important role to play in Africa’s energy sector. With the right approach, the renewable energy industry in Africa can become a major player in the energy sector, and meet the energy needs of a significant proportion of the population. Renewable energy technologies can play a major role in national development in terms of job creation and income generation as well as providing an environmentally sound energy service. Aggressive lobbying for renewable at national, regional and sub-regional levels is required.

With the above challenges; these are prescribed solutions on how Africa can achieve sustainable and affordable supply of energy for all by 2030

For Africa to have meaningful socio-economic growth it must ensure that the four major sectors of national economies–industries, transportation, services, and households–are provided with adequate and affordable modern services of electricity and fuels.

Ensure that the reviewed energy policies are enacted by legislatures and also strengthen the national energy regulatory frameworks to ensure orderly development of the sector and also to ensure international best practices are adopted on the issue of licenses for new plants as well as evolution of both cost-reflective tariffs and practical provisions for indigent groups.

Sustainable development of energy in Africa will require all African countries to adopt a set of comprehensive strategies, the implementation of which will greatly reduce the current energy poverty restricting their growth rates. Lastly, the crucial requirement for sustainable development of energy in Africa is good governance, which will in turn require genuine democracy and transparent government transactions. With all these listed above, Africa can enjoy sustainable and affordable energy development.