About 80% of the global population without electricity live on a single continent.
Satellite imagery of African cities compared to Western cities at night reveals a stark contrast: the darkness versus the light.
This lack of power matters. Electricity consumption and GDP growth are closely linked. Virtually every wealthy nation uses power abundantly. It's not just about keeping the lights on; it's about economic independence.
"Electricity is a fundamental right because without that you can't have health, education, anything delivered."
History shows that nations get rich via industrialization and mass production. That requires power.
Energy needed for a country to economically 'take off'.
Current average in many African countries.
We are way off in terms of where we need to be.
To say Africa is energy poor is a mischaracterization. The continent is incredibly rich in natural resources, hydropower potential, and untapped solar energy.
Despite this vast potential, the lack of functioning infrastructure forces manufacturers to abandon the grid, relying on expensive and uncompetitive diesel generators.
Huge sunk costs and long payment schedules make projects daunting.
Corruption and instability inhibit long-term foreign investment.
Loans to African countries come with unjustifiably high rates compared to peers.
Western compliance rules make it tough to deploy capital effectively.
Africans are taking energy security into their own hands through ambitious projects and green technology.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. A 500ft wall of reinforced concrete. Africa's largest hydroelectric powered dam, funded partly by domestic bonds and crowdsourcing.
15 gigawatts of solar panels imported in 12 months. Transformational for rural areas where national grids don't extend.
Private companies partnering with governments to build small renewable power plants for neighborhoods and industrial estates.
International institutions prioritize green energy, making it hard to fund fossil fuel projects. This irks many African leaders who want any fuel to lift their nations out of poverty.
"The idea that Western countries could get rich by burning fossil fuels, but Africa should learn from those mistakes, strikes a lot of people as condescending and hypocritical."
The consensus? It doesn't matter how it happens—fossil or green—as much as the fact that it needs to happen.
If there are jobs in Africa, if there is hope for the future, we create a more secure world for everyone. It is in the interest of everyone that the last continent to industrialize, finally does.