Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, asserts that the issue of energy poverty must be addressed head-on and taken into consideration in discussions on the global energy transition in order for African countries to achieve middle-income status and social and individual prosperity for their citizens.
In order to do this, the Vice President detailed clear paths that will result in both the attainment of the global net-zero emissions targets as well as climate-positive economic growth on the continent.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, says this was one of the major highlights of Prof. Osinbajo’s Special Public Lecture on Monday at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, USA, where he spoke on the specific title “Energy Transition in Africa.”
Emphasizing the continent’s potential, the VP said, “Africa’s endowments, renewable energy, natural resources, and a young workforce present a compelling set of circumstances for several pathways to climate-positive growth.”
“Low emissions consumption and production, the point being that Africa can, instead of going the carbon-intensive path to providing energy, goods, and services for its own needs, take full advantage of green technologies and practices. There is the distinct advantage that Africa can actually pursue a green course of growth without worrying about costly legacy infrastructure.
“The second pathway is that, having recognized the fact that global zero carbon ambitions cannot be realized without intentional carbon removal technologies and practices, Africa can ramp up her own potential to do this at scale through a combination of planned land use and ecosystem management and investment in emerging engineered removal technologies. Already, Africa’s large carbon sinks currently store years of global emissions, and the abundant supply of unused agricultural waste is available as biomass for clean energy production and soil improvement.”
“The third pathway is that Africa can become a highly competitive global green manufacturing and energy hub, which could also hasten the greening of global industry, thanks to its abundant reserves of renewable energy and raw materials.” Therefore, the VP remarked, “the paradox of an energy-poor continent becoming the world’s green industrial powerhouse is easily resolvable and must be.”
However, he suggested that the developed world alter its attitude of Africa and stop viewing it as just a victim in the discussions surrounding climate change and the achievement of the global net zero targets by 2050–2060.
