Roundup: Experts push for increased energy access in Africa

Experts on Tuesday called for more efforts to increase energy access across African economies if the continent is to achieve industrial revolution.

They made the call at the opening of a high level energy investment summit in the Rwandan Capital Kigali.

Rwanda hosts the energy investment meeting dubbed iPAD Rwanda Energy Infrastructure Forum from Tuesday to Wednesday.

"Increasing energy access and adding value to it is a key development enabler but, overall, governments have been unsuccessful in securing significant investments for power grid development," said James Musoni, Rwanda minister of infrastructure.

He noted that lack of affordable and reliable access to power and lighting stalls business growth, and inhibits new jobs from being created and provision of critical services.

Musoni pointed out that Rwanda targets to increase electricity generation from 110 megawatts to 563 megawatts and access levels from 23 percent to 70 percent of the country`s population by 2018.

The two-day meeting provides an opportunity for investors and developers to explore Rwanda's untapped energy potentials and investment incentives.

It has brought together about 250 delegates from different countries across the world, including international stakeholders, financiers, industry experts and valuable insights from the national utility and government.

According to Kipyego Cheluget, assistant secretary general of Comesa, it is time to take decisive action and turn around this narrative of Africa being in the dark to light up and power the continent for accelerated economic and social transformation.

"Access to energy, and especially to electricity, guarantees access to reduced cost of doing business. The energy sector requires huge investments especially from the private sector. Energy access challenge in Africa will most likely be addressed through a combination of on-grid, off-grid and micro-grid solutions," he said.

According to Africa Development Bank (AfDB), more than 645 million Africans do not have access to electricity - and 700 million go without access to clean cooking energy, with 600,000 dying each year from indoor pollution from reliance on biomass for cooking. Africa loses about 4 percent of its GDP to lack of electricity.

Sidi Ould Tah, director general of Arab Development Bank for Economic Development in Africa, said that Africa is known for the darkness of its towns and cities.

"Lives are at great risks in hospitals because there is no electricity. Small businesses, which account for over 90 percent of the private sector, cannot operate optimally due to inadequate energy sources. We should come up with a campaign that advocates for massive investments in power generation across the continent," he noted.

AfDB plans to invest 12.5 billion U.S. dollars in five years to boost the continent's energy capacity. Endit