Empowering Africa: Realising the potential
While Africa is blessed with a vast and diverse wealth of energy resources, from vast oil and gas reserves to great potential for renewable energy sources, including solar and large hydropower projects, the continents’ energy wealth is unevenly distributed and mostly underdeveloped. Africa is still the least electrified continent 2 out of 3 Africans lack access to electricity. To empower Africa access to reliable, clean and affordable energy is critical. Advancing regional integration through priority interconnection projects must be part of the way forward for the continent to realise its untapped potential. Among the most encouraging recent developments are number of innovative bottom-up off-grid solutions supported by mobile banking solutions.
Discussion Leaders:
• Thulani Gcabashe, Chairman; Executive Chairman, Standard Bank Group Ltd.; BuiltAfrica Holdings, South Africa
• Elham Mahmood Ahmed Ibrahim, Commissioner, Energy and Infrastructure, African Union, Ethiopia
• Simon D'ujanga, State Secretary for Energy, Government of Uganda, Uganda
• Andrew N. Kamau, Principal Secretary of Petroleum, Government of Kenya, Kenya
Moderator:
• Bonang Mohale, Vice Chair for Africa; Chairman & Country General Manager, World Energy Council; Shell Commercial Pty, South Africa
