Rich Nations Take Electricity for Granted – And Risk Denying It to Africa

By NJ Ayuk

For many in the developed world, electricity is an unquestioned part of daily life. They rarely consider what it means to live without modern energy for lighting, heating, or cooking.

Flip a switch, twist a knob, and power flows effortlessly – fueling meals, homes, and economies.

Yet, in their rush to curb carbon emissions by halting international financing for fossil fuel projects, wealthy nations like the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, and Italy are failing to see a critical consequence: they are effectively blocking African countries from using their own abundant natural resources to expand reliable electricity access and improve quality of life.

To expect African nations to power their futures solely on intermittent renewables is unrealistic – and potentially devastating. No one can run a business in the dark.

This double standard is striking. While these nations urge Africa to abandon fossil fuels, they continue to support their own domestic oil and gas industries.

Britain still subsidizes its fossil fuel sector, and the U.S., already the world’s top oil producer, is pushing to increase domestic production even further.

The impact of these pledges – or outright bans – has been immediate and far-reaching. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), established to help build infrastructure in low-income countries, announced last year that it would no longer fund any new natural gas projects.

The World Bank has stopped investing in coal, oil, and gas exploration and production altogether. Alongside institutions like the European Investment Bank (EIB), they have declared that future funding will go exclusively to renewable energy sources.

Africa Needs Reliable Energy – Not Idealism

But here’s the reality: industrialization is the cornerstone of economic development, job creation, and long-term prosperity – particularly vital for Africa’s booming youth population. And industrial growth requires reliable, consistent energy at scale.

Wind and solar alone cannot meet that demand – at least not yet. According to the Brookings Institution, Africa’s current energy demand stands at approximately 700 terawatt-hours (TWh).

That’s 4,000 times greater than the 175 gigawatts (GW) of new wind and solar capacity added globally in 2020.

To expect African nations to power their futures solely on intermittent renewables is unrealistic – and potentially devastating. No one can run a business in the dark.

And no continent can industrialize without dependable energy.

Denying Africa the opportunity to develop its own fossil fuel resources risks locking millions into poverty. If the goal is a cleaner, more sustainable planet, then the global community must find ways to support Africa’s development – not stifle it.