Introduction
African countries face many problems related to electrification. There are many disparities between nations in this sector. While some countries, such as Morocco and Egypt, have a 100% electrification rate, others are struggling to exceed 10%. The latest reports from the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that 18 of the 20 countries in the world are the least electrified. Only two countries are foreign.
Are 83% of people in Africa living without electricity?
Africa is a continent rich in natural resources. Despite the fact that the continent is rich in oil, gas, coal, hydroelectricity and renewable resources such as solar, wind and geothermal energy, more than 571 million Africans still do not have access to electricity. The report points out that 83% of people living without electricity in the world are in sub-Saharan African countries. What’s more, of the 20 countries identified as having the highest number of people without electricity, eighteen are in this region. Yet in 2010, 566 million were recorded. This shows a slight increase in the figure. The report states that this trend can be explained by rapid population growth outstripping investment in energy infrastructure. The countries with the largest economies and populations on the continent feature in this list. They are Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and leading oil producer, has an electrification rate of just 60%, affecting 86.2 million people. The DRC, despite the enormous hydroelectric potential of the Congo River, supplies electricity to only 21% of its population, leaving 77.7 million people in the dark. Ethiopia, on the other hand, is showing promising signs with major hydroelectric projects such as the Grand Barrage de la Renaissance, increasing its electrification rate to 55%.
How can oil-rich countries have a disappointing level of electrification?
According to the IEA, South Sudan presents the bleakest picture, with an electrification rate of just 5%, hampered by chronic political instability and internal conflict. Other oil-rich nations, such as Chad (12%) and Angola (48%), also show disappointing levels of electrification.
Finally, two non-African countries, Burma and Pakistan, are also among the 20 least electrified countries in the world. In its recommendations from the report, the IEA calls for a focus on major investment in energy infrastructure, harnessing the vast renewable resources available.
However, the agency notes that solar energy, in particular, represents an exceptional opportunity for the continent. With average solar irradiation varying between 4 and 7 kWh/m2/day and reserves estimated at nearly 60 million terawatt hours per year, Africa has one of the greatest solar potentials in the world, argues the IEA.
Conclusion
The problem of mobilising traditional and new partners is the main cause of the lack of effective electrification. Governments are obliged to seek out private investors willing to invest under favourable conditions, as well as the philanthropic sector, which can become involved in attractive areas.
