In line with its aim to achieve universal access to electricity for Africans by 2025, the African Development Bank (AfDB) says it is planning to invest $12 billion in development and distribution of energy for use across the continent in the next five years.
Audrey Rojkoff, operations coordinator of the Green Climate Fund in AfDB’s energy, environment and climate change department, stated this while addressing artists and journalists at the “African Lights” exhibition held Wednesday in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire.
“There is a clear link between the work accomplished by the African Development Bank and the message delivered by this exhibition,” she added.
Rojkoff also said that AfDB’s association with the exhibition stemmed from its embodiment of “Lighting up and powering Africa” one of the bank’s top five priorities or “High 5s” that were set by Akinwumi Adesina when he took office as president, about eleven months ago.
“This exhibition gives us an opportunity to see the potential and capacity of Africa, as well as our own capacity to accomplish great things,” the AfDB president said at the opening of the exhibition.
According to AfDB data, more than 640 million Africans still have no access to energy, informing Adesina’s decision to launch the bank’s “New Deal on Energy for Africa
“African Lights” was initiated as part of the 21st conference of parties on climate change, also called COP 21, when the African continent heightened its voice to defend its interests in the fight against climate change.
AfDB’s support and that of its two partners, the African Union/NEPAD and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa ensured high visibility of African Lights in a dedicated Africa Pavilion at COP 21.
Having opened in Paris at the Théâtre National de Chaillot in November 2015, the touring exhibition made its first stop in Abidjan, and other capitals in Africa and elsewhere are also expected to host it, going forward.
Some 54 works created by 54 world-renowned contemporary African artists, one for each of the 54 countries that make up the continent, formed a key part of the event, representing what the organizers called “The illuminated Africa.”
The Schneider Electric Foundation, Orange and Tilder Communications Consultancy are also associated with the exhibition as partners.
AfDB’s $12 billion projected expenditure on electricity provision for Africa could beneifit Nigeria, as the nation desperately seeks capital to fund its domestic generation, transmission and distribution projects.
On Thursday, April 28, BabatundeFashola, the minister of power, said there will be no new electricity projects in the country, insisting there were already so many projects awarded that are not being funded due to dearth of capital.
“There is a plan by the government to complete 47 transmission projects in this year’s budget,” he noted.
In the past one week, energy report made available to BusinessDay from the ministry of power showed that Nigeria was producing a paltry 3,393 megawatts of electricity.
According to data sourced by BusinessDay from the federal ministry of power, Nigeria currently has an installed electricity capacity of 12,000megawatts, with about 140 turbines installed, but the operational capacity is around 8,000mw, meaning that some turbines are down and some projects haven’t been fully completed.
“When the Forcados gas pipeline failed earlier in the year, the 78 operational turbines available in Nigeria dropped to about 50 due to gas shortage,” Fashola lamented.
YANGE IKYAA
