Ep. 521: Addressing Energy Poverty in Africa
Guest: NJ Ayuk, African Energy Chamber
Energy is the backbone of every economy.
With it, economies grow; without it, they are stagnant. Africa is currently energy impoverished. According to the International Energy Agency, “African economies that were already hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are further challenged when you factor in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent food, energy and other commodity prices soaring [and] increasing.”
According to NJ Ayuk of the African Energy Chamber: “These crises are also compromising many parts of Africa’s energy systems.” He goes on to say, “They are deepening the financial difficulties of utilities, increasing risks of blackouts and rationing, and they’re contributing to a sharp increase in extreme poverty.”
Ayuk says, “It doesn’t need to be this way. Africa has plenty of what it takes to produce electricity. The continent has abundant reserves of hydrocarbons – at least 125.3 billion barrels of crude oil [and] 509 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. More than enough resources to support renewables, enough sunlight to support 1,000 GW of solar generation, enough running water to support 350 GW of hydropower generation, enough wind to support turbines that can generate 110 GW of power, and enough geothermal energy to support 15 GW of capacity.”
We invited Mr. NJ Ayuk of the African Energy Chamber to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how to utilize those resources to ignite economies throughout Africa.
Want to learn more about our guest?
Check out their profile on our partnered program, Careers That Matter!
