“Africa remains the least energized continent, with close to 80% of the 733 million people globally without access to electricity and 36% of the 2.4 billion people without access to clean cooking. But there is hope.”
You are a Global Thought leader and International Development Expert with over 25 years experience. Can you briefly describe yourself and the work that you currently do?
I am many things. I am a Daughter; I am a Sister; I am a Mother; I am a Cousin; I am a God Mother; I am a Grand-daughter; I am a Friend; I am an African; I am a Ugandan. I am a Global thought leader
You have ample experience working on projects on Climate Change. Looking at Africa, how can we address this problem, particularly in regions where people are experiencing droughts and floods?
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the increasingly frequent climate-related disasters are costing countries between $7 billion to $15 billion a year, with an estimated projection of these losses rising to $50 billion annually by 2030. A new UN report estimates that losses from severe droughts in Africa over the past 50 years due to climate change have exceeded $70 billion, putting around 23 million people at the risk of food insecurity across the horn of Africa.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) report ‘The Global Drought Snapshot’ and published last December found that at the end of 2022, the horn of Africa had experienced the worst drought in 40 years, with Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia particularly hard hit. Five consecutive seasons of failed rains wreaked havoc and contributed to reduced agricultural productivity and high food prices. Floods have also had devastating effects on the continent with Kenya the most recent example.
To adapt, African countries need to raise an annual average of $124 billion. Today, they are receiving only $28 billion a year. Adaptation means adjusting to current and future effects of climate change, by altering our behavior, systems and — in some cases — our way of life. With broad-based support, starting with leadership, climate adaptation for Africa is a real and achievable reality in our lifetime.
This amazing continent houses the world’s largest arable land mass; half of its remaining arable land; its second largest and longest rivers (Congo and Nile); and its second-largest tropical forest (20 per cent or 301 million hectares).
Africa contains 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves; 12 percent of its oil; 40 percent of its gold; and 10 percent of its internal renewable freshwater, savannas, coastlines and fisheries aquaculture, which together represent $24 billion.
Encouragingly, more than 40 African countries have revised their national climate plans. Most of these countries are in the process of creating strategies that are ambitious and make large commitments to climate adaptation and mitigation. These commitments must be accompanied by substantial financial investments.
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are gaining traction as an approach to adaptation. Drawing from natural systems to surmount climate-related challenges, NBS have the potential to be quite successful. Protecting forests and mangroves, for instance, could prevent $500 billion of climate-related losses each year.
As the climate negotiations get underway in Bonn, Africa’s Group of negotiators need to “identify, prioritize and mainstream adaptation into development policy making and planning…”. It is important to note that building resilience and responding to climate related disasters is expected to cost African countries 3-5% of their GDP annually by 2030, but in certain scenarios this can rise to over 15% of GDP.
Africa will consequently need to focus on leveraging adequate funding to finance its adaptation efforts. It is expected that between 2020 – 2030, Africa needs an estimated US $579.2 bi lion in adaptation finance. There are already some opportunities that Africa can leverage like the African Development Bank (AfDB) Climate Action Window aimed to “boost climate finance flow to support Africa’s development and promote a resilient and low-carbon development pathway”. There is also the African Adaptation Acceleration Program launched at COP26 in Glasgow by the AfDB and the GCA with its objective of mobilizing US$ 25 billion to accelerate and scale climate adaptation action across the continent by 2025. However, these funds fall far short of what is needed.
Africa should push for an agreement on a roadmap for doubling the adaptation finance commitment by 2025, allocating at least 50% of public climate finance for adaptation, as grants to support adaptation measures in developing countries.
Renewable Energy is key to Africa’s economic future, we have abundant sun and wind. How can these resources be harnessed to create a more sustainable future?
Africa remains the least energized continent, with close to 80% of the 733 million people globally without access to electricity and 36% of the 2.4 billion people without access to clean cooking. But there is hope.
Africa leads the world in solar energy potential. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that Africa has 60% of the world’s best solar resources, and Africa generates 9% of its energy from renewable resources, and that solar capacity in Africa grew 13% between 2019 and 2020. Governments across Africa have been working to deliver off-grid solar products to the millions of people who currently do not have access to electricity. Over the past decade, as small-scale renewables — especially solar panels — have become more widely available and less expensive, advocates have touted their potential to enable ordinary Africans to leapfrog to better energy access and even help drive post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
Solar power can help Africa reduce emissions and widen access to electricity, but the continent is only in the early stages of building its solar resources. And for rural areas, solar energy brings power without expensive connections to the electricity grid. Solar panel technology is also the cheapest of all renewable technologies at $995 per kilowatt.
Despite the huge solar energy potential, Africa has only 1% of solar generation capacity. Deployment of renewables on the continent remains very small, with Africa’s share of global electricity generation from hydropower, wind and solar power being only 3.3%, 1.2%, and 1.1%, respectively. Moreover, several studies suggest that maintenance costs often surpass what rural households and communities can afford. IEA estimates that Africa needs $190 billion of investment a year between 2026 to 2030, with two-thirds of this going to clean energy. Possible solutions that need to be explored include setting up mini grids capable of powering entire communities, or developing domestic capacity to design and manufacture off-grid solar power, stimulating a shift towards industrial development.
There are four ways these resources can be harnessed:
Universal access to affordable electricity, achieved by 2030 requires bringing connections to 90 million people a year, triple the rate of recent years. Extending national grids is the least costly and most prudent option for almost 45% of those gaining access to 2030. In rural areas, where over 80% of the electricity-deprived live, mini-grids and stand-alone systems, mostly solar based, are the most viable solutions.
Achieving universal access to clean cooking fuels and technologies by 2030 requires shifting 130 million people away from dirty cooking fuels each year. Today, 970 million Africans lack access to clean cooking. Countries are re-evaluating clean fuel subsidy schemes and exploring alternatives such as improved biomass cook stoves, electric cooking and biodigesters. Benefits include reducing premature deaths by over 500 000 a year by 2030, drastically cutting time spent gathering fuel and cooking, and allowing millions of women to pursue education, employment and civic involvement.
The goal of universal access to modern energy calls for investment of USD 25 billion per year. This is around 1% of global energy investment today. Stimulating more investment requires international support aided by stronger national institutions on the ground laying out clear access strategies – only around 25 African countries have them today.
Demand for energy services in Africa is set to grow rapidly; maintaining affordability remains an urgent priority. Some countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Uganda, are being driven to halt or reduce subsidies, or to reinstate fuel taxes due to growing financial burdens.
Finally, there are many promising initiatives and partnerships such as Power Africa, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and many others are bringing much needed support. Through the Health Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA), Power Africa is assembling the world’s leading renewable energy, digital technology, and health solutions providers to electrify and digitally connect 10,000 health facilities, enable modern medical services, and improve lives. And the GEAPP, with catalytic capital from The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund, and a consortium of nearly two dozen public and private sector partners, aims to accelerate an equitable energy transition in 60+ priority emerging and developing economies, and in doing so create tens of millions of green jobs and avoid 4 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
ALL IN ALL, PEOPLE MUST BE AT THE CENTER OF AFRICA’S NEW ENERGY ECONOMY.
Around 4 million additional energy-related jobs are needed across the continent by 2030, largely to reach universal energy access in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of the jobs offer entry into the formal economy and increase entrepreneurial opportunities for women. The growth of RE and the accompanying phase out of fossil fuels will be critical to avoid potentially disastrous consequences of climate change; but we must also recognise the need for a just energy transformation that addresses the needs of people currently dependent on fossil fuels for their livelihoods.
Looking at all that you have done in the Sustainable Development Space in the last 25 years, which of your work are you most proud of and why?
In 2018, I joined Homeward Bound – an all-women expedition in Antarctica to increase women’s leadership in shaping our planet. We learnt about values-based leadership, visibility and the fragility of the planet on which we all live. Together we are now creating a vibrant, energetic, highly skilled and well connected global network of women leaders. I am especially proud of a similar initiative in Africa that I am also a part of called We Africa. We continue to awaken the leader within all of us; helping us see our place in the world, inspire, mobilize and enable women to take up leadership roles.
But the real secret sauce are the new relationships and friends that you make, comrades alongside you on a shared journey, cheerleading you on.
We are bonded by shared purpose around bringing more women into leadership to shape the future of our planet
“..No leader. No follower. Each one of us collaborating for the greater good..”.
We were challenged during this voyage to practice values-based leadership. We learned that we need to bring those values into the workplace
I did a lot of self-reflection. I was reminded of the “Noblese Oblige” – to whom much is given, much is expected. I have this great opportunity that many women in Africa do not have. I was the only African on the expedition. How could I use this opportunity to do more for women and girls in Africa? I came back with renewed sense of purpose to make women and girls a major cornerstone of my work.
“..We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time… TS Elliot.
Looking at the development landscape of Africa today, what role do you think women like you will play to shape the future of the continent 20 years from now?
Women’s leadership in Africa is not a new phenomenon. Throughout Africa’s history, women have been critical problem solvers, leading militaries during the pre-colonial period, fighting for freedom during independence movements, being transitional leaders during post-conflict periods, and leading during some of the worst economic, political, and health crises of the 21st century.
There is a growing body of research that shows that women bring skills that make organizations better. And frankly, women’s leadership is becoming more recognised now than ever. African women’s growing presence as public leaders is not confined to national institutions, and African women now hold leadership positions in the World Trade Organization, African Union, and the United Nations, among others.
Many African countries have come a long way, but the majority still fall far behind the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action’s goal of 30 per cent and the African Union Agenda 2063 goal of 50 per cent women’s representation. In Africa, women occupy about 24 per cent of the parliamentary seats which is significantly close to the global average. Unfortunately, only two subregions, Southern Africa and East Africa, largely account for Africa’s high rates of women’s representation. They boast 31 per cent and 32.4 percent of women’s parliamentary representation, respectively. The other three subregions fall over 10 percentage points behind.
My message to women leaders like me is we need to Be brave, be visible and embrace vulnerability. We must embrace the vulnerability that comes with being visible in these top positions. We must take more risks. Yes the playing field is not level – The game is rigged but we can’t win if we don’t play!
“WHEN YOU’RE VISIBLE, YOU CAN BE SEEN. AND WHEN YOU CAN BE SEEN, YOU CAN BE TOUCHED. AND WHEN YOU CAN BE TOUCHED, YOU CAN BE HURT…
SO THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO GET OVER IS THIS IDEA THAT YOU CAN OCCUPY A POSITION OF RESPONSIBILITY, HAVE A COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION, WITHOUT BEING VULNERABLE.
Research has shown that visibility often eclipses all other criteria as the most crucial factor for women’s advancement. But visibility is not a straightforward proposition. For women everywhere, glass ceilings, embedded cultural misogyny, unconscious bias, the gender pay gap, and the lack of affordable childcare are just a few on a long list of structural barriers. And we are scared to be visible because it makes us vulnerable. We have seen what happens to those who dared to be visible. So why should we dare?
First, we must be visible to ourselves: This means self-reflection. Who am I? Why am I here? How did I end up here? What makes me different? How do I shape the environment around me? Research has shown that “structured reflection”, or those conscious hours and effort spent on genuine introspection and self-examination – has a highly positive impact on leadership development. Knowing your story gives you purpose.
Next, we must be visible to others: for this, we need to know who the most important people to engage with are. Is it just one key person or a million people? Is it one courageous conversation or more?
And finally, we must pursue collective visibility: using the visible leadership platform we build for ourselves to support others and movements bigger than ourselves.