Despite global progress towards universal electricity access, hundreds of millions of Africans continue to live without reliable power, relying on kerosene lamps, candles, and firewood for basic needs. This energy poverty exacts a heavy toll, manifested in stunted economic growth, lost opportunities, and an estimated 700,000 preventable deaths each year due to household air pollution.
The oft-repeated statistic that some 600 million Africans lack electricity access has become a familiar but sobering refrain. While it risks becoming a figure that fades into the background, the real-world impacts remain starkly visible in communities across the continent. Household reliance on polluting fuels releases toxic fumes that endanger health, particularly for children. The World Health Organization attributes 3.2 million deaths annually worldwide to indoor air pollution, with over 237,000 children under five among the victims. In Africa, the number reaches approximately 700,000, including deaths from pneumonia, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, strokes, and lung cancer.
Nigeria shoulders the greatest burden with over 80 million of its population still without electricity— the highest number globally. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia collectively add about 130 million more people facing power shortages. Together, these three countries represent nearly a third of the continent’s population living in the dark.
The absence of dependable electricity hampers prospects for industrialization, job creation, value-added manufacturing, and competitive exports that could transform African economies and improve living standards.
For Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the foundational challenge lies in policy frameworks and financing mechanisms. Ogunbiyi stresses that translating lofty commitments into tangible implementation is critical. SEforALL tracks progress annually on electrification initiatives, infrastructure like electric vehicle charging stations, and quantifiable impacts to livelihoods. Though many countries’ energy transitions will be gradual, Ogunbiyi encourages Africa to capitalize on the opportunity to forge a green energy future from the ground up.
Yet, this opportunity risks slipping away. Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), laments that despite Africa’s vast solar potential accounting for 60 percent of the world’s total, the continent receives less than three percent of global energy investment. He warns that financing gaps risk locking Africa into short-term energy fixes rather than resilient long-term solutions.
To address these challenges, Robert Lisinge, Director for Technology, Innovation, Connectivity and Infrastructure at ECA, highlights collaborative efforts with the African Union and regional bodies like the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to develop harmonized energy frameworks. These policies aim to align continental priorities with international goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063, ensuring the continent’s energy needs remain central in global discussions.
Despite daunting obstacles, progress is evident in several African countries. Kenya stands out for producing more than 80 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, serving as a replicable model. Morocco’s Noor Ouarzazate solar complex is among the world’s largest solar power facilities, demonstrating large-scale renewable energy deployment on the continent.
Discussions around integrating nuclear energy into Africa’s energy mix are ongoing. More than 20 countries are considering small modular reactors and microreactors to boost rural electrification, though concerns about costs, safety, and waste persist. Proponents argue that countries like France and Canada have successfully harnessed nuclear power as part of their low-carbon energy portfolios and that, with appropriate regulation, nuclear could complement renewables in providing stable baseload power essential for growth.
Private sector engagement is also pivotal. Osayande Igiehon, CEO of Heirs Energies, emphasizes the firm’s dual strategy of improving the efficiency and cleanness of existing oil and gas assets while expanding renewable energy projects. This approach aims not only to reduce emissions but also to facilitate socio-economic development by bringing infrastructure such as schools, clinics, and roads to underserved communities. He recognizes hydrocarbons continue to meet present energy demands but stresses renewables must drive Africa’s future growth.
Young innovators across the continent—from Kenya, Rwanda’s capital Kigali, Ghana, to Nigeria—are driving grassroots advances. Solar start-ups and community-led clean energy initiatives are gaining traction, generating localized solutions to close energy gaps and foster sustainable development.
Closing Africa’s electricity access gap will shape the pace of the continent’s industrialization, the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and realization of the ambitious vision laid out in Agenda 2063. Most critically, it will determine whether millions continue to suffer and die unnecessarily from energy poverty or whether Africa’s immense renewable resources are harnessed to power a more equitable and sustainable future.
Leading figures such as Damilola Ogunbiyi, Robert Lisinge, and Osayande Igiehon recently discussed these issues in the Economic Commission for Africa’s Sustainable Africa Series, highlighting the urgency of coordinated action and innovative financing to unblock energy access and fuel Africa’s transformation.
While the challenge is immense, Africa’s experience in rapid electrification elsewhere, combined with global advancements in renewable energy technologies and growing private sector dynamism, indicate that the continent’s energy revolution is within reach, provided sustained political commitment, smart investments, and inclusive policies are prioritized.
Utilities and policymakers must learn from regions like South and Central Asia, which dramatically reduced electricity deficits within a decade by emphasizing decentralized solutions such as mini-grids and solar home systems. With over 50 million off-grid solar products sold across Africa in recent years, these models offer efficient, resilient pathways to power remote and underserved areas that traditional grid expansion may not reach quickly.
To avoid losing the race against time and climate change, Africa must seize existing knowledge, mobilize financing at scale, and champion technological innovation to electrify homes, businesses, and public services across its vast and diverse landscapes.
The future of millions of Africans depends on turning these challenges into opportunities, ultimately ensuring reliable, affordable, and clean electricity for all.
