It is no longer news that African continent is the most underdeveloped continent on earth where people are living. Many African leaders and the citizens knows and have given lips services to the situation without any meaningful development.
Why did Africa remain poor? Diseases, civil war, the legacy of colonialism, famine – all have been applause as the reasons for the continent’s grinding poverty and economic backwardness. But another factor most often forgotten probably related in some ways to others, plays a fundamental role in stifling development is lack of modern energy sources.
Africa’s enormous energy potentials remains vastly under-exploited. While almost half of Africa’s 53 countries could profitably produced hydropower, only 8% of this potential is reached because of poor infrastructure and the high cost of initial investments.
Furthermore, despite its large geothermal and solar energy potential, Africa accounts for only 1.5% of the world’s installed solar facilities, and only four countries have started exploiting underground heat sources. Of the fossil energy sources – primarily oil that African countries do exploit, only a quarter is consumed locally.
Limited energy development in Africa has resulted in one of the lowest uses of modern energy sources in the world. More than three quarters of sub-Saharan Africans have no access to electricity, compared to fewer than 14% of Latin Americans and East Asians. As a result, most Africans use biomass (animal and vegetable wastes and firewood) for lighting, cooking, and heating.
Families in rural and semi-rural areas often have no choice but to exploit what they perceive as a ‘free’ energy source. However, as populations grow and the need for energy increases, fragile ecosystems are threatened. Replacing biomass sources by less destructive energy supplies has thus become increasingly urgent.
Clearly, African countries, assisted by their development partners, need to develop the continent’s enormous energy potential as an integral part of their efforts to spur economic growth and reduce poverty. Improvements in energy supplies have multiple beneficial effects. Public and home lighting, refrigeration of food, medicine and vaccines, and heating and proper sanitation help improve people’s living conditions and health. More and higher quality energy increases production through modernized communications, improved productivity, and a better business environment.
A secure energy supply, moreover, greatly extends learning possibilities and improves access to information. More informed citizens, in turn, participate at a higher rate and to a greater degree in their country’s decision-making processes. Thus, institutions are rendered more democratic and government becomes more transparent and responsible.
Some countries have sought to bridge the gap between their energy potential and their populations’ lack of access to energy. In a few countries, private-sector participation in electricity companies, coupled with new independent regulators, has resulted in greater and more efficient power generation and higher employment, while doubling the number of subscribers.
Electrification for the rural poor has improved in South Africa and Ghana through the creation of independent agencies in charge of implementing rural electrification plans. Similar policies need to be adopted by a greater number of countries to enable them to address their energy challenges in a more effective way.
More attention should also be given to regional and international power initiatives, which can help smooth out the uneven distribution of energy resources across countries. Such reforms have the potential of benefiting consumers by lowering costs and improving the reliability and quality of services. An integrated, continent-wide energy strategy linked to national policies for growth would, indeed, go a long way toward addressing this important need. One vehicle for promoting such an approach could be the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
According to African Economic Outlook, it is generally acknowledged that average growth rates of around 6-8% are required if Africa is to make real headway in curtailing poverty. More intensive use of Africa’s energy resources will necessarily be a critical component of any realistic development strategy.
As Africa looks to the future, developing its enormous energy resources – through both national and regional efforts, must be given high priority. Indeed, boosting its energy capacity will be critical to unleashing the continent’s economic and human potential.
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