At least 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from the energy crisis in which arose in the past few years, according to the 2008 statistics of the International Monetary Funds (the IMF), quoted by the UN electronic review "Africa Renewal". According to the statistics, 550 mm Africans, representing 75 % of the population of the continent, do not have access to electricity.
In an analysis on the energy sector in Africa, entitled "Electricity, a vital need for Africa," Africa Renewal quotes the explanations given by an official of the African Development Bank (AfDB), which puts the causes of the shortages of electricity in Africa to lack of maintenance of the existing networks and low government investment in the sector, even as the government is required to provide power at very low prices.

While stressing the need for an increase in the electricity generation -- one of the priorities of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the review quotes the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as estimated that Africa needs $ 344 bn to increase its electricity production capacity.
Africa Renewal said less than 3 % of the rural population and 32 % of those in the urban centres were connected to their domestic network in East Africa in 2004, whereas Cote d'Ivoire and Zimbabwe have a coverage higher than 70 %. It blamed the poor coverage on the high cost of connection and the limitations posed by the low tariffs charged by many African nations.

The review stressed the urgent need for the African countries to reform their electricity companies so that lack of access to electricity does not create a bottleneck to economic growth.

Source: http://www.afriquejet.com