The Africa Centre for Energy Policy, an African energy policy think tank, has advocated for the inclusion of Africa in the production of renewable energy technologies. During a recent institutional visit by Climate Change Journalism Fellows from the Media Foundation for West Africa in Ghana, Charles Ofori, the Policy Lead for Climate Change and Energy Transition at the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, emphasized the need for African governments and institutions to foster research and technological advancements. He asserted that Africa has the potential to create and compete with technologies developed by more advanced nations.
Ofori explained that renewable energy, often referred to as clean or sustainable energy, is derived from natural sources or processes that can be replenished, in contrast to fossil fuels like coal and gas. He pointed out that while the demand for renewable energy technologies is on the rise, much of this demand is met through imports. He warned that an over-reliance on imported technologies limits opportunities for job creation and employment generation within Africa. “This means that Africa is missing a lot of opportunities when it comes to participating in the production of some of these technologies,” he stated. Ofori highlighted the importance of focusing on the value chain, encouraging African countries to engage meaningfully in this area to build capacity for the production and development of renewable energy technologies.
Additionally, Ofori called for the establishment of industries within Africa to facilitate employment generation and enable youth to apply their skills in the renewable energy sector. Kodzo Yaotse, the Policy Lead for Petroleum and Conventional Energy, echoed these sentiments, noting that Africa has not made significant progress in implementing and participating in discussions on climate change. He urged African leaders to standardize the renewable energy technologies imported into their countries. According to the World Economic Forum in 2022, despite the African continent’s wealth of renewable energy resources, these resources remain largely underutilized.
Comments are closed for this story.