Engineer and founder of the Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC), Justice Ohene-Akoto, has issued a rallying cry for collaboration among experts and innovators in Africa’s energy sector to address the continent’s pressing energy challenges.
During a high-level discussion, he urged stakeholders to invest in the energy sector, noting that increased availability and production of power would boost GDP. Recognising industrialisation as crucial, he underscored the energy sector’s critical role as its backbone. Without reliable electricity, GDP suffers, impacting every facet of our economy. He referenced his academic publications on the value of lost load, essentially the economic value of power outages.
For instance, he said Ghana lost about 6 percent of her GPD as a result of power outages in the year 2016.
“This is a country whose energy access is about 87 percent, which is impressive compared to most African countries. Over 600 million out of the about 1.4 billion population in Africa do not have access to electricity. That is over 40 percent of the Africa’s population.
If a country whose energy access of about 87 percent loses 6 percent of her GDP due to erratic power supply, just imagine how much countries with energy access of less than 40 percent are losing. This should inform stakeholders on where to invest.
If we invest in our energy sector, we are not going to lose this chunk of our GDP; it means we are going to boost the economy. This means more money in our pockets, nobody is going to run away,” Mr..Ohene-Akoto said.
The engineer emphasised that leveraging the potential of youths through employment opportunities and harnessing the power of industrialisation are key pathways forward.
“The African issue can only be solved the African way. What we are looking for as the youth in Africa are jobs and that means industrialisation – The backbone of that is energy. Get the energy right, get the industrialisation; and when you create jobs, you cut down the migration and other issues,” he said.
He underscored the importance of messaging, stressing that reframing energy access and power outages in terms of their economic losses and social impacts is essential to drive tangible solutions forward.
He also emphasised the role his organisation, ASEC, aims to play in complementing the establishment of the African Energy Bank, which is set to address the financial deficits in the continent’s energy sector.
Mr. Ohene-Akoto was part of a panel consisting of high-level personalities and stakeholders in the African energy sector, including H.E. Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Nigeria, and H.E. Dr. Omar Farouk, Regional Vice Chair Africa, World Energy Council, and Secretary-General, African Petroleum Producers (APPO).
Themed ‘Energy for 2 billion people: Want more, waste none?’, the group of experts aimed to identify the challenges Africa faces in transitioning to sustainable energy. This panel discussion was part of a series of sessions held during the 26th World Energy Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from April 22 to 25, 2024.
He delivered the welcome address at a roundtable workshop, urging seasoned industry players to pass on their knowledge to the younger generation.
The overarching theme for this year’s congress was ‘Redesigning energy for people and planet’, highlighting the critical importance of energy safety. The four-day event featured a range of activities, including expert dialogues, practical workshops and focused discussions on key areas that unite sectors, geographies, generations and systems, aiming to accelerate fairer, more extensive energy transitions.
This year’s World Energy Congress commemorated 100 years of harnessing collective action to foster change within the global energy community. It convened approximately 5,000 delegates and a total of 18,000 attendees, including up to 70 ministers and 250 C-suite speakers, to promote innovation, exchange ideas and share best practices.
About ASEC?
The Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC) is an independent think tank established in 2023 by Ing. Justice Ohene-Akoto.
The organisation aims to foster impartial discussions on energy in Africa and evaluate government policies that could impede progress in this regard. ASEC comprises a diverse group of experts from fields such as energy, engineering, research and media.
It endeavours to offer solutions and a roadmap for sustainable energy both for Africa and the rest of the world, both for the present and the future.
