By Seleman Yusuph Kitenge

Access to reliable, affordable and sustainable modern energy services is essential for Africa to fulfil its objective to industrialise the continent. This is because modern energy services play a pivotal role to keep our small, medium and large scale industries running in day-to-day production processes. The IRENA energy progress report of 2021 estimates that 75% of the world population without access to electricity is based in Sub-Saharan Africa. This population who lack access to electricity has increased from 556 million people in 2010 to 570 million people in 2019.

The low electrification rates in Africa demonstrate how far behind the continent is in its efforts towards achieving SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy and its corresponding five (5) targets. Moreover, it raises an important question of whether we are on right track to meet aspiration 1 of Agenda 2063 that focuses on promoting a prosperous Africa, based on Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development. Limited access to modern energy services, particularly electricity access, does not only impact the industrialisation process, but also other key sectors of the economy where modern energy use is critical. This includes those sectors which support industrialisation such as raw material production activities.

To address these challenges, AUDA-NEPAD as the leading development agency of the African Union, has been implementing strategic programmes and initiatives to improve access to modern energy services across the continent. Examples of such programmes include Africa Power Vision (APV), an initiative which is being implemented across the continent to increase access to reliable and affordable energy by utilising Africa’s diversified energy resource base consistent with Agenda 2063. By 2040, the APV programme seeks to achieve an 80 percent residential electrification rate and 90 percent access to electricity for industries and businesses. This would be supported by sufficient electricity supplies, and accompanied by off-grid solutions while making full use of the vast renewable energy resources in Africa.

While current efforts to increase power supplies on  the continent are very critical for Africa’s industrialisation agenda, it is also important to ensure that energy resources and supplies are developed sustainably. This will entail tapping Africa’s vast renewable energy resources such as hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, wave, tidal, and modern biofuels. On the other hand, this will enable the reduction in the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have been the dominant energy resources since the Industrial Revolution but in the process have been responsible for accelerating global climate change, local environmental pollution and consequently human health.

Therefore, as Africa strives to build more industries to increase productivity and create jobs for  improving the livelihood of the majority of its people, an energy system that fulfils energy security as well as sustainability demands will yield multiple benefits for the continent. This will facilitate sustainable development, by ensuring that industrialisation and expansion of modern energy services does not result in unintended consequences such as environmental pollution and adverse impacts on human health. It is thus possible to achieve both increased access to modern energy services, reduce environmental impact of energy services and improve the livelihoods of the majority of Africans.