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The Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2026 by Sustainable Energy for All indicates that the world is off track to meet all Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets by 2030. While global electricity access has improved, progress is decelerating and heavily concentrated in Asia, leaving Africa with the vast majority of the unelectrified population. Clean cooking access is failing to keep pace with population growth in Africa, and global renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements are too slow to meet the required trajectories.

The Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2026 executive summary indicates that all Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets are off track for 2030. While global electricity access has reached nearly 92%, progress is decelerating, and the remaining deficit is heavily concentrated in Africa. Clean cooking access remains a critical gap with 2 billion people lacking access, and global energy efficiency and renewable energy shares are not improving fast enough to meet 2030 targets.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes Uganda's development trajectory toward 2040, comparing a 'Current Path' against eight sectoral scenarios. It evaluates progress across demographics, health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, trade, and governance, concluding that while progress has been made, integrated policy interventions are required to meet the goals of Uganda Vision 2040.

This research paper provides a background overview of Uganda, detailing its political structure, geography, natural resources, and the evolution of its national development planning frameworks, specifically focusing on the goals of Vision 2040 and the Third National Development Plan (NDPIII).

This research paper examines the complex relationship between democracy and economic growth, specifically focusing on the African context. It distinguishes between 'substantive' (liberal, constitutional) democracy and 'procedural' democracy, arguing that while the former correlates with long-term growth and stability, the latter often fails to improve governance or development in low-income countries.

This research paper provides a background analysis of Rwanda's development trajectory, focusing on its strategic goals under Vision 2050, economic performance, and structural challenges. It details the country's transition from a low-income status toward aspirations of high-income status by 2050, while examining the impact of COVID-19, inflation, and the prevalence of the informal sector.

This research paper outlines a 'Governance scenario' for Africa, modeling the potential socio-economic impacts of improvements in stability, government capacity, and inclusion by 2043. It specifically examines how digital technology can enable direct cash transfer programs to replace inefficient subsidies and forecasts significant gains in GDP and poverty reduction across the continent.

This research paper examines government capacity in Africa, primarily through the lens of tax-to-GDP ratios and the effective use of revenues. It highlights that African countries generally exhibit lower government capacity compared to other global regions, with significant unmet tax potential and challenges related to corruption and neo-patrimonialism, particularly in larger states.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of cobalt as a critical mineral for the clean energy transition, detailing its applications in lithium-ion batteries, global distribution of reserves and production, and the significant human rights and environmental impacts associated with its extraction, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This report provides a framework of priority actions for companies across the mining and mineral value chain to halt and reverse forest loss and degradation by 2030. It categorizes the sector into upstream, midstream, and downstream companies, offering specific guidance on nature-positive practices, traceability, and the protection of Indigenous rights to mitigate operational and reputational risks.

This research paper presents the 'Financial Flows scenario', a model using the International Futures (IFs) forecasting platform to assess the impact of increased aid, foreign direct investment (FDI), and remittances, alongside reduced illicit financial flows (IFFs), on Africa's development indicators through 2043.

This report provides a 'Current Path' development forecast for sub-Saharan Africa from 2019 to 2043, utilizing the International Futures (IFs) platform. It analyzes demographic shifts, economic growth, poverty trends, and energy transitions, projecting a region with significant population growth, increasing urbanization, and a shift toward manufacturing and renewable energy, despite persistent challenges with food insecurity and carbon emissions.

This report provides policy recommendations for the East African Community (EAC) to address development shortfalls, regional instability, and socio-economic inequalities. It emphasizes the need for harmonized national development plans, increased investment in infrastructure and education, and the implementation of regional frameworks for trade, governance, and security to ensure growth keeps pace with a rapidly expanding population.

The Demographics and Health Scenario is a research paper that models the potential impact of accelerated fertility decline and health infrastructure improvements across Africa. It outlines a series of ambitious but empirically grounded interventions starting in 2027 to enhance human development and economic growth relative to a 'Current Path' forecast.

The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), established in 1983 and revised in 2019, comprises 11 member states in Central Africa. While its mandate expanded in 1998 to include peace and security alongside economic cooperation, the region continues to face challenges including low regional integration, currency diversity, and significant economic disparities, with member states ranging from low-income to nominally upper-middle-income.

This research paper analyzes illicit financial flows (IFFs) in Africa, estimating that approximately US$89 billion leaves the continent annually. It identifies multinational commercial activities (65%) and criminal/corrupt activities (35%) as the primary drivers. The document highlights the resulting deficits in health and education spending and critiques the US as a secrecy jurisdiction. It evaluates efforts to combat IFFs through the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), the EITI, and the OECD/G20 BEPS framework, noting that African nations seek a higher global minimum corporate tax rate of 20%.

This report analyzes the 'Combined Agenda 2063 scenario' for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), integrating 11 sectoral scenarios to forecast GDP per capita, poverty levels, and carbon emissions by 2043. It highlights the synergistic effects of multi-sectoral reform, projecting significant economic growth and poverty reduction, while noting an inevitable increase in carbon emissions.

This research paper provides a comprehensive geographic, political, and socio-economic introduction to Africa, detailing its physical landscape, colonial history, administrative structures, and immense cultural and linguistic diversity.

The report explores how Africa can 'leapfrog' traditional development stages by adopting decentralised renewable energy, mobile-first digital infrastructure, and AI. It highlights the success of mobile money (e.g., M-Pesa) and the potential for solar mini-grids to close the energy gap. A projected 'Large Infrastructure and Leapfrogging' scenario suggests that by 2050, such strategic investments could increase GDP per capita by US$510, reduce extreme poverty by 63 million people, and expand the overall economy by nearly US$1 trillion compared to current trends.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the energy access gap in Africa and the potential for 'leapfrogging' traditional fossil-fuel grids in favor of decentralized renewable energy systems, specifically solar-based mini-grids and off-grid solutions.