- The pact would support nations in their efforts to achieve the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7.
- The agreement was signed by IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera and AUDA-NEPAD CEO Nardos Bekele-Thomas on the sidelines of Africa Climate Week in Nairobi.
IRENA (the International Renewable Energy Agency) and AUDA-NEPAD (the African Union Development Agency) have recently collaborated to access affordable, dependable, sustainable, and contemporary energy. This agreement intends to assist countries in their endeavours to realise the objectives outlined in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7.
Francesco La Camera acknowledged that a significant proportion of the global population lacking access to electricity resides in Sub-Saharan Africa. He pointed out that the current energy infrastructure is insufficient to meet the continent’s energy needs adequately. According to him, establishing a more just energy system that capitalizes on Africa’s diverse array of renewable resources is contingent upon developing a more interconnected, adaptable, and reliable regional power grid. La Camera emphasised that this partnership represents a pivotal step toward achieving this objective.
Nardos Bekele-Thomas stressed the findings of the Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP), which serves as a strategic guide for connecting Africa’s five power pools. She reiterated the need for proactive actions in the African electricity sector, as the business-as-usual trajectory falls significantly short of attaining universal electricity access by 2040. To achieve this ambitious target, substantial investments are required to increase the continent’s installed capacity from 266GW to roughly 1,218GW. An estimated cumulative investment of $1.29 trillion will be necessary to achieve this goal, potentially leading to the establishment of a robust continental electricity market valued at $136 billion by 2040. Bekele-Thomas stressed the urgency of taking prompt and strategic measures to accomplish these transformative objectives.
In summary, the collaboration between IRENA and AUDA-NEPAD aims to address the energy challenges in Africa, aligning with the goals set by the African Union and the United Nations.