Rethinking Electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa : Why we Should Stop Counting and Start Thinking Big
If African nations want to see their economies transform, the issue of electricity must be tackled head-on. Expansion needs investment too, and for that, utilities must recover their costs. Yet all over the region utilities are running at a loss. T...
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/600701562230941593/Rethinking-Electrification-in-Sub-Saharan-Africa-Why-we-Should-Stop-Counting-and-Start-Thinking-Big http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32118 |
| Summary: | If African nations want to see their
economies transform, the issue of electricity must be
tackled head-on. Expansion needs investment too, and for
that, utilities must recover their costs. Yet all over the
region utilities are running at a loss. This report takes a
broader look at the issue to show that the problem in Africa
is not power but poverty. It shows that affordability,
reliability, and coordination are the missing links to
making utilities financially viable and expanding their
consumer base. The report emphasizes that access to
electricity cannot be a stand-alone goal. Policymakers must
rethink their approach to electrification by placing the
productive use of electrification at center stage. Given the
resource constraints, governments need to coordinate
investments in other aspects of their infrastructure at the
same time as they invest in electricity. Policies and
programs need to focus on improving access to markets
through better roads and expanding credit for new
businesses. In this way, electricity can energize
agriculture in rural areas and industry in urban areas. This
report shows that, to generate income, create jobs, and
alleviate poverty in Africa, electricity has to be part of a package. |
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