Despite the progress made over the years, about 60 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s population – or more than half a billion people - remain without access to electricity. In rural areas, the situation is worse, with only one in four Africans having access to electricity. In addition, per capita consumption of energy in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) is still extremely low at 180 kWh, compared to 13,000 kWh per capita in the United States, 6,500 kWh in Europe and 2,000 kWh in other developing countries.
As part of its efforts to address this situation, the Bank in 2016 launched the New Deal on Energy for Africa that has the aspirational goal of achieving universal access to electricity by 2025 – 100 percent access in urban areas, 95 percent in rural areas, by promoting on- and off-grid solutions, as well as re-lated technical advances. The New Deal on Energy for Africa is a partnership-driven effort that facilitates the Bank’s collaboration with governments, the private sector, bilateral and multilateral energy sector initiatives to develop a Transformative Partnership on Energy for Africa. Read more here...
