Africa’s Poor Need Energy, Not Just Empathy
Africa’s poorest nations face energy shortages, with millions lacking access to electricity and relying on unsafe cooking methods.
4 min read
Africa’s poorest countries are at a critical juncture where energy access is more vital than sympathy. As the United States rolls back greenhouse gas limits for power plants, global energy policy is shifting toward industrial pragmatism, yet this transformation is not reaching the continent’s most vulnerable. The World Bank’s data reveals that in nations like Mozambique, Burundi, and the Central African Republic, a majority of the population lives in extreme poverty, with over 70% surviving on less than $2.15 per day. These figures underscore a stark reality: without reliable energy, these nations remain trapped in cycles of poverty, unable to industrialize or modernize their economies.
Energy Poverty and Health Risks
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation highlights the dire health consequences of energy poverty, particularly in countries like Burundi, where household smoke from cooking with wood, charcoal, and dung kills at high rates. Women and girls in these regions spend up to four hours daily gathering fuel, a burden that stifles economic and social development. In contrast, countries like Egypt, where cooking gas is widely used, experience significantly fewer such hardships. This disparity underscores the urgent need for energy access to improve public health and quality of life.
According to the World Bank, the lack of electricity is one of the primary reasons for these levels of poverty. In the Central African Republic, the electricity network operates on the hydroelectric power of a single waterway, with the Boali complex on the Mbali River generating less than 39 megawatts. This is far below the output of a single modern coal-fired plant, which typically generates 1,000 megawatts or more. With over 4.3 million people in the country lacking electricity, the energy crisis is a significant barrier to development.
Infrastructure and Energy Production Gaps
Burundi’s situation is equally dire. In 2025, the country’s national grid produced less than 167 megawatts, with a recent addition of nearly 50 megawatts still leaving the national access to electricity below 12%. For a population of 14 million, this system is barely sufficient to power a single American shopping mall. South Sudan, another nation in crisis, had an installed capacity of roughly 214 megawatts by 2023, with only half of that working. These numbers reflect the scale of the challenge: energy production is not meeting the needs of the population, and without significant investment, the situation will not improve.
Why does such a lack of firm power exist in places that need it most? The answer lies in the funding and policy decisions of international financial institutions. The World Bank ceased financing coal projects over a decade ago and ended upstream oil and gas lending by 2019. Similarly, the African Development Bank, under President Akinwumi Adesina, pledged to move away from coal, though this commitment was not formally written into policy. These decisions have left African nations without the financial support needed to develop their energy infrastructure, perpetuating cycles of poverty and underdevelopment.
Experts Call for Reassessment of Energy Policies
Vijaya Ramachandran of the Breakthrough Institute argues that blanket bans on financing hydrocarbon projects entrench poverty. She calls the approach of ignoring energy needs in favor of climate goals “completely immoral,” emphasizing that the average Ethiopian consumes only 130 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, a fraction of the amount consumed by the average American in four days. Ramachandran’s perspective highlights the tension between climate goals and the practical needs of the world’s poorest populations.
NJ Ayuk of the African Energy Chamber makes a compelling engineering argument. He asserts that ending energy poverty requires leveraging all available resources, including coal and oil, which each have a role to play in the continent’s development. He criticizes the notion that Africa should rely solely on wind and solar while wealthier nations restart their own coal plants, calling it “not just unfair and unjust, it is dishonest.” Ayuk’s stance reflects a broader debate on how to balance environmental concerns with the need for energy access in developing nations.
Call to Action for International Support
African governments are urged to demand that the African Development Bank and World Bank restore financing for fossil fuel plants and the infrastructure needed to connect them to consumers. This, according to Ayuk, is the bare minimum required for the continent’s most desperate to escape poverty. The call for action is clear: without significant investment in energy infrastructure, the cycle of poverty will continue, and millions will remain without access to the electricity and energy needed to improve their lives.
The energy crisis in Africa is not just a technical or economic issue; it is a moral one. As the world moves toward more sustainable energy solutions, it is imperative that the needs of the world’s poorest nations are not overlooked. The path forward requires a reevaluation of energy policies that prioritize both environmental goals and the practical needs of developing countries. Only through such a balanced approach can Africa’s most vulnerable populations hope to break free from the chains of poverty and achieve sustainable development.
Source: PJ Media
