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Rural Electrification Through Decentralised Off-grid Systems in Developing Countries pp 131–156Cite as

Electrification Experiences from Sub-Saharan Africa

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Abstract

This chapter provides a review of electrification experience from the African continent by focusing on a selected set of country experiences from Sub-Saharan Africa. The review captures the diversity and similarities of approaches adopted by the countries in this continent and contrasts the successful examples of South Africa and Ghana with other Sub-Saharan African cases. The region lags behind significantly in terms of electricity access and unless huge investment is made urgently, the region is unlikely to catch up with the global trend. While strong government commitment, requisite financial support, and organizational and policy competence have produced clear benefits in the successful cases, tentative approaches, weak governance and poor financial support have created the vicious circle of weak outcomes.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    These countries are Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Botswana , Senegal and Zimbabwe.

  2. 2.

    This is further elaborated in Chapter 9.

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Acknowledgments

Several colleagues and student assistants provided inputs to this chapter. I am particularly indebted to Dr. Suad Badri, a visiting researcher from Sudan, Mr. Roderick Williams (a previous student and now an alumnus) and Mr. Nikhil Rodriguez, an MSc student at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy, University of Dundee. Nikhil has recently passed away in a fatal car accident just when he was about to start his career in the energy sector. His loss is deeply regretted. This chapter is dedicated to him.

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  1. Professor of Energy Economics and Policy, Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

    Subhes C. Bhattacharyya

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    Subhes Bhattacharyya

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Bhattacharyya, S.C. (2013). Electrification Experiences from Sub-Saharan Africa. In: Bhattacharyya, S. (eds) Rural Electrification Through Decentralised Off-grid Systems in Developing Countries. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4673-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4673-5_6

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