LOW-CARBON ENERGY TRANSITION IN AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM WEST AFRICA

The document argues that while Africa has immense renewable energy potential, its transition to a low-carbon economy is hindered by fragmented governance, inadequate investment, and a reliance on hydrocarbon assets that risk becoming 'stranded'. It highlights the specific challenges in West Africa, where over 57% of the population lacks electricity access despite abundant solar, wind, and hydro resources. Using Nigeria as a case study, the briefing notes a trend toward decentralized solar projects in universities and businesses, but warns that these must be integrated into national grids to avoid inefficient clusters. The authors recommend that African governments prioritize robust, adapted technologies and align country-level actions with regional visions to build climate resilience.

• Africa faces a significant risk of 'stranded' hydrocarbon assets as global efforts to limit temperature increases to 2°C may render 30% of oil, 50% of gas, and 80% of coal reserves unburnable.
• Energy access in West Africa remains critically low, with more than 57% of the 300.7 million ECOWAS citizens unable to access modern electricity.
• West Africa possesses substantial untapped renewable potential, including an estimated 25,000 MW of hydropower, of which only 16% is currently harnessed.
• In Nigeria, there is a growing trend of 'off-grid' transitions where institutions and businesses adopt solar power to bypass the unreliable national grid, such as 40 federal universities under the Nigeria–Germany Energy Partnership Project.
• The cost of battery-pack technology has decreased significantly, falling from almost $1,000 per kWh in 2010 to less than $230 per kWh in 2016, facilitating the shift to renewables.
• A primary barrier to Africa's green transition is the lack of integrated implementation and the fragmentation of renewable projects into isolated clusters that are decoupled from national and regional grids.

APA

BELLO, O., & OJOYI, M. (2017). LOW-CARBON ENERGY TRANSITION IN AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM WEST AFRICA. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Policy-Briefing-164.pdf

Chicago

BELLO, OLADIRAN, and MERCY OJOYI. LOW-CARBON ENERGY TRANSITION IN AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM WEST AFRICA. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Policy-Briefing-164.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BELLO |first1=OLADIRAN |last2=OJOYI |first2=MERCY |title=LOW-CARBON ENERGY TRANSITION IN AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM WEST AFRICA |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=June 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Policy-Briefing-164.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bello2017lowcarbon, author = {BELLO, OLADIRAN and OJOYI, MERCY}, title = {{LOW-CARBON ENERGY TRANSITION IN AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM WEST AFRICA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Policy-Briefing-164.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }