African countries should join forces to leverage from their natural energy resources proactively and creatively to find homegrown solutions to the continent’s socio-economic challenges, Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo has said.
Speaking at the MSGBC Oil, Gas and Power conference held in Dakar, Senegal on Friday, Alweendo said in order to achieve Agenda 2063, there is a need for African countries to effectively collaborate amongst each other to ensure maximum capitalisation on their oil and gas resources.
Alweendo stressed that though energy is a critical catalyst for development, more than 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to reliable electricity, noting that African countries need a reliable energy supply to provide livelihoods to their people and lift communities out of poverty.
“It is our duty to ensure that we live up to the expectations of our forefathers; to unite and develop our continent. With a positive mindset in harnessing our oil and gas resources, we can reap the economic benefits that come with eradicating energy poverty,” he said.
Alweendo critiqued that though global interest groups are suggesting upon Africa to give up fossil fuel energy sources, the continent calls upon energy transition that is just and equitable amongst nations.
He said countries highly dependent on fossil fuel for their socio-economic development, may need a little more time to transition than those that have already made an inroad into the renewable energy space.
“African energy industry stakeholders do not have to shrug our shoulders; we cannot and should not accept other people’s realities about our energy trajectory. Not when we are just about to get there. Not when turning things around is clearly within our grasp,” he slammed.
Alweendo noted that many African countries are developing legal frameworks that foster a more productive relationship with the international oil companies to ensure local economic benefits for citizens, create job opportunities and diversify the economies.
The MSGBC Basin is named after the acronym of the countries in which the basin resides, namely Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry.
The conference aimed to unify regional energy leaders, national and international oil companies as well as global financiers for networking and engagement.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
