Powerless Millions: The African Energy Crisis

Millions of people in African countries lack access to reliable electricity due to ageing infrastructure, lack of government oversight, and a shortage of skills to maintain national grids. The Western-funded “Just Energy Transition” aims to help poorer countries move from highly polluting coal-fired power generation to renewable, environmentally-friendly sources of power. However, some critics argue that Africa should use all available sources to produce adequate power, including natural gas, solar, wind, hydropower, and especially coal. Investments of nearly $20 billion are required annually to achieve universal electrification across sub-Saharan Africa, according to World Bank estimates.