Africa’s Energy Access Challenge. African Least Developed Countries

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Africa’s Energy Access Challenge
Africa is one of the most disadvantaged places when it comes to electrification. Many people in African Least Developed Countries (LDCs) live without adequate sources of energy. Although LDCs have the potential to harness renewable energy, they lack the appropriate resources to do it. When it involves non-renewable sources of energy, such as fossil fuel and petroleum, LDCs are in the frontline for overusing them and polluting the environment. African LDCs’ lack of access to reliable energy sources significantly contributes to their poor economic growth.
African LDCs face the challenge of accessing either non-renewable or renewable energy sources. In particular, electricity facilitates economic growth and development. LDCs lag in infrastructural development since they lack reliable energy sources. Despite these countries having an inadequate power supply, they also struggle to decarbonize the available energy sources, which makes it hard for them to eradicate poverty (Lecture 7a 41). Moreover, the importation and utilization of non-renewable energy sources have adverse impacts on the environment via global warming. According to the World Bank, people’s access to electricity is the primary indication of a nation’s energy poverty status. In 2010, African LDCs’ rural areas had 5.4% of individuals with access to electricity and 52.3% of people in urban areas (Lecture 7a 42). Consequently, without reliable power supplies in LDCs, it would be difficult for these countries to implement the current technologies.
The lack of access to energy sources by LDCs makes these countries unable to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030. Sustainable power encompasses three primary components that include efficiency, renewable energy, and access. Specifically, achieving universal power access remains a significant challenge to LDCs. For example, when the glo...