Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga
Photo by: Reuters
With 12 new African nations expected to enter the oil production space over the next decade, the African continent had to start deliberating energy policy that focused on security and sustainability, former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the 2014 World Energy Security Forum, in Sandton, he noted that, in future, the US was expected to source 25% of its oil from West Africa.
“[However], although we have joined the league of oil and gas producers and we are building ever bigger power [infrastructure], energy security remains a big challenge for Africa,” he added, explaining that domestic markets remained underdeveloped and pointing out that only one out of every six energy consumers in Africa was connected to a national grid.
Therefore, while there was a lot of optimism being expressed about Africa’s future in the form of the “Africa rising” narrative, a lot of work still had to be done for the continent to achieve its objectives, Odinga stated.
“Unless we put the right policies in place and act on them, the energy situation [in Africa] will only get worse in the coming decades,” he said.
Further, he stressed that the continent also had to join the debate on how to produce and consume energy in a way that reduced greenhouse-gas emissions, adding that “there is no better way to ensure growth than to invest in clean, reliable and affordable energy”.
“We cannot afford to produce, consume and pollute.”
Africa had significant renewable-energy resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, hydro and biomass power that could benefit the continent as demand for energy grew, likely leading to price increases.
He urged countries on the continent to prioritise strategies for energy security, focusing on the physical, as well as the price challenges.
“Let us create a conducive environment for partnerships, let us find investment for power generation projects based on renewable projects,” Odinga said, stating that this would contribute to ensuring an energy mix that would eliminate volatile pricing.
“Let us go all out and provide the political, legal and financial framework to bring energy security to the continent, at a cost that consumers can afford, and in a way that attracts investment.
“And as we pursue energy security, efficiency, affordability and reliability, let us accept that climate change is a reality,” he concluded.