Electricity access in Africa continues to be a major challenge, World Bank Global Lead for Energy Access Mac Cosgrove-Davies has disclosed.
Nigeria for example is struggling to connect its citizens to the grid with over 80 million lacking access to electricity
Speaking during the Fourth Mini Grid Action Learning Event: titled, ‘Up scaling Mini Grids for Low-Cost and Timely Access to Electricity’ in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr Cosgrove-Davies noted that the problem faces most African countries.
“Six out of ten people without access to electricity in the world are in Africa,” he observed.
More than one billion people still lack access to electricity globally with Sub Saharan Africa being home to about 600 million of these.
Nigerian seeks financial support from the World Bank to support a National Electrification Project that focuses on off-grid opportunities including mini grids.
Across 36 African countries, just 2 in 5 people have access to a reliable supply of energy throughout the day, according to a new study by research network Afrobarometer.
Read:Burkina Faso unveils West Africa’s largest solar power plant
The project aims to provide 310MW of reliable, low cost wind power to the Kenya national grid, equivalent to approximately 18% of Kenya’ current installed electricity generating capacity.
Burkina Faso on the other hand has launched West Africa’s largest solar power plant in a deliberate move by the country to boost renewables and cut energy dependence on its neighbours.
In Morocco a concentrated solar power plant on is being constructed which upon completion will become the world’s largest.
