Abuja. Feb. 9, 2023 -The World Bank says about 600 million people in Africa risk continued power shortages as the continent continues to grapple with electricity deprivation by 2030.
Ms Anna Bjerde, the World Bank Managing Director of Operations, said this in a statement during an International Development Association (IDA) meeting in Abuja.
She said the ongoing energy crisis in Africa coupled with the aftermath effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had continued to threaten access to electricity by many people.
Bjerde said that central to the engagement with African leaders was the challenge of energy access.
“Energy access is an excellent example of what can be accomplished. It is also an issue that African leaders have prioritised since 2000, and access to energy has more than doubled across Africa.
“Despite significant investment and progress at the current pace, close to 600 million Africans are likely to remain without electricity by 2030, with two-thirds of those living in countries currently classified as protected.
“Together, we can do better to reach universal electricity access.
“By the end of the decade, the rate of electricity access growth will be to triple, this is doable and the World Bank Group is ready to accompany you in the journey from ambition to reality,” she said.
Bjerde said the World Bank has expedited the deployment of existing cash transfer systems, extending assistance to over 50 million individuals, equivalent to 10% of the initial pop Nigerian
She said that a key takeaway from COVID-19 was the critical importance of a robust delivery system to assist the most vulnerable nations in building resilience to shocks.
Bjerde said that the role of the World Bank in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, was more important than ever.
“Whether they be from pandemics combat or climate, we accelerated the use of established cash transfer systems to reach more than 50 million people or 10 per cent of the total original population.
“We also supported about 20 million farmers and pastoralists with urgent agricultural inputs.
“The investments that you have all carried out to build robust delivery and targeting systems means that more can now be done to help the most vulnerable.
“These examples show that transformation and impact are possible if countries decide to create the conditions to convert opportunities into transformation on the continent,” she said. (GBN)
