Africa Energy Forum Opens in Cape Town with Bold Call for Continental Unity
Amadou Hott, former Special Envoy of the President of the African Development Bank for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa, delivered a keynote that crystallized the forum's central theme. 'Energy is everything. Without abundant, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy, we have no transformation,' he said. Amadou Hott, former Special Envoy of the President of the African Development Bank for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa
Hott spoke of energy's significance in building Africa's future, asserting: 'Actually, we have no future without energy.'
Continental integration as solution
Hott outlined an ambitious vision for African energy integration, calling for practical economic unity across the continent.
'Picture this reality: A hydroelectric dam in Kinshasa powers factories in Lusaka. Natural gas from Nigeria's river states fuelling industries in Douala,' he said, pointing out that investors 'pursue scale, stability and simplicity' that only a united Africa can deliver.
The financial challenge is staggering. Africa needs '$250 billion annually by 2030 to meet energy demand,' Hott detailed, with the electricity sector alone requiring '$120 billion annually,' yet the continent receives only 3% of global energy investments despite housing 20% of the world's population.
Lerato Mataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure & Energy, reinforced the urgency of the crisis. '600 million Africans are currently left without access to electricity,' she said, warning that 'at the current pace of development, 570 million people will still be without access to electricity by 2030.' Lerato Mataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure & Energy
The human cost extends beyond darkness. Mataboge revealed that 'about 600 thousand women and children die each year in Africa due to inefficient utilisation of biomass,' making energy provision 'a human rights issue' in the African continent.
Political will and private partnership
South Africa's Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, framed the challenge in stark terms: 'Electricity is not a luxury. It is a fundamental and basic human right. It is the oxygen of economic activity, the lifeblood of industrialization.'
Through the Mission 300 initiative, endorsed by the African Union, the continent aims to 'electrify 300 million Africans by 2030.' Ramokgopa recalled that this is 'not a pipeline, it is a political decision,' requiring just '$25 billion per year, equating to less than 1% of global energy investments.' Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, South Africa's Minister of Electricity and Energy
Private sector leader Goran Rajsic of SUN Africa brought a developer's perspective, arguing that 'Africa needs electricity yesterday.' His company is building 400 megawatts of solar capacity in Angola while advocating for a government-owned, contractor-operated model that ensures 'infrastructure must remain sovereign.'
Path forward
The forum will continue through June 20, with leaders recalling that fragmented thinking must give way to integrated, continental solutions. As Hott concluded: 'Let's move decisively from PowerPoint to power plants, from intentions to connections, from fragmented markets to one united, electrified, and economically empowered Africa.'
Tags: Africa Energy ForumAfrica Energy Forum (AEF)Energy in Africa
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
2 minutes ago
- Morocco World
AAU Conference Champions Higher Education as Key to Africa's Future at UM6P
Rabat – The 16th Quadrennial General Conference of the Association of African Universities (AAU) opened today, July 21, 2025, at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University ( UM6P ) in Rabat. Held every four years, this flagship event serves as the AAU's highest decision-making forum, bringing together key stakeholders in African higher education to confront critical challenges and shape collaborative strategies towards the continent's future development and education. AAU General Conference Under the theme 'Shaping the Future of Higher Education for Innovation and Sustainable Development in Africa,' the conference convenes university leaders, researchers, policymakers, students, and industry partners for plenary sessions, thematic panels, strategic workshops, and exhibitions. Discussions focus on pressing issues such as water scarcity, renewable energy, digitalization, cybersecurity, and the humanities. The official opening ceremony featured a speech by Azzedine El Midaoui, Morocco's Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, who expressed pride in opening the conference. In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), El Midaoui said the conference reflects King Mohammed VI's vision to bolster Morocco's leadership and foster closer collaboration with African countries in higher education . 'This conference will address and discuss a range of themes and topics across education, research, and innovation. The main subjects include water scarcity, fertilizers, renewable energy, digitalization, cybersecurity, the humanities, and many others. I believe it is a great opportunity to strengthen these areas further,' he stated to MWN. 16th AAU General Conference Rachid Serraj, Director of the Africa Initiative at UM6P, highlighted the university's steadfast commitment to Africa, guided by the vision of King Mohammed VI, which calls for advancing development in both Morocco and the wider continent. ' Africa today is facing many challenges, including demographic growth, climate change, poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. If we look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, Africa still lags behind in achieving them. Our work focuses on finding solutions to address these challenges, and this conference includes discussions on all these themes,' Serraj told MWN. He also touched upon the historic significance of the AAU, noting that it was founded in Rabat in 1967 with just 34 member universities. Today, the association has grown to encompass over 450 universities across the continent. Olusola Bandele Oyewole, Secretary General of the AAU, praised Morocco's historic role as the birthplace of the association and expressed deep appreciation for King Mohammed VI's unwavering support of higher education and innovation in Africa. 'We are very grateful to the King of Morocco for his great support and motivation for higher education and innovation in Africa,' he said, emphasizing the crucial role of universities in empowering Africa's growing youth population to contribute to the continent's development. The conference brings together a diverse group of participants — including university leaders, researchers, youth organizations, development partners, and private-sector actors — for a rich program of discussions aimed at advancing innovation and sustainable development through higher education across Africa. Tags: AAU conferenceEl MidaouiHigher EducationUM6P
Morocco World
2 hours ago
- Morocco World
AfDB Approves €100 Million for Agriculture Program to Support Moroccan Women, Youth
Rabat — The African Development Bank (AfDB) Board of Directors has approved €100 million in financing for Morocco to launch a comprehensive agriculture support program targeting women and young entrepreneurs. The initiative, called the Program for Supporting Inclusive Solidarity Agriculture for Women and Youth (PAASIFEJ), aims to create lasting opportunities for women and young people while strengthening food security and preparing Morocco's small-scale farmers for climate change challenges. The program will stimulate entrepreneurship among women and youth in rural areas by establishing tailored financing and incentive mechanisms. It will also strengthen technical and financial support systems to help participants succeed in their ventures. The initiative plans to deploy new agricultural production and service infrastructure, which will consolidate women's participation in local value chains, enhance their skills, and increase their productivity. According to the AfDB, these actions will foster the emergence of women entrepreneurs in agriculture, para-agriculture, processing, and digital sectors. The program supports Morocco's new employment roadmap by promoting rural entrepreneurship. Achraf Tarsim, the AfDB's country manager for Morocco, outlined the program's priorities. 'Women who have the ambition to start businesses and succeed in agriculture are our priority,' he said. 'Through this new operation, we will accompany them step by step to build modern, inclusive, and resilient agriculture, capable of revealing the full potential of those who aspire to innovate and create value and employment in their territories,' Tarsim added. The program aligns perfectly with Morocco's priorities and will support the implementation of the 'Generation Green' strategy 2020-2030, a national vision seeking to transform agriculture into a more inclusive, sustainable, and high-performing sector. The initiative also backs the state-led National Solidarity Agriculture Program and the National Youth Entrepreneurship Program, creating synergies across Morocco's larger development framework. The African Development Bank has partnered with Morocco for over fifty years, building collaboration based on a shared and integrated vision of development. The institution has mobilized nearly €15 billion to date, financing more than 150 high-impact projects in strategic sectors including transport, water, energy, agriculture, social protection, governance, and finance. This latest approval demonstrates the bank's continued commitment to supporting the North African country's agricultural transformation while empowering women and youth as key drivers of rural development. Tags: AFDBagricultureMoroccoYouth and women
Ya Biladi
a day ago
- Ya Biladi
UM6P UNESCO and OCP launch 6 million dollar platform for African development
مدة القراءة: 1' The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), in partnership with UNESCO and the OCP Foundation, is launching a pioneering platform dedicated to advancing development agendas with a strong focus on Africa. Announced on July 18 in Benguerir, this initiative comes with a financial commitment of $6 million and marks a tripartite collaboration for 2025-2027. It aims to «consolidate an alliance rooted in a shared determination to address African issues collaboratively». The initiative seeks to «develop projects where education, science, technology, and cultural heritage are integrated as collaborative tools for endogenous, sustainable, and sovereign development», according to an official statement. It is designed to foster «a cooperative dynamic centered around shared values: long-term investment in knowledge systems, the pivotal role of higher education, the enhancement of cultural resources, and the significance of innovation grounded in local realities». In the realm of higher education, the program aims to promote «cross-border academic mobility, joint research production, and the development of academic ecosystems that are less reliant on imported models of excellence». The statement adds that «scholarship schemes, mobility programs, and joint supervision of research projects will be facilitated through Campus Africa, a platform created by UNESCO to foster horizontal collaboration among African universities». Additionally, the initiative seeks to enable «the circulation of talents, knowledge, and educational practices, with the aim of strengthening capacities that are institutionally embedded regionally and connected globally». In the same vein, the Maou'root initiative for cultural heritage «aims to establish a pan-African network of heritage conservation professionals», promoting «community and interdisciplinary models» through targeted training. The collaboration also emphasizes ecosystem restoration through a methodology centered on pilot projects, with selected protected areas in Africa «serving as test sites» for these efforts.
