Electrify Africa in 10 Years? No Problem Says Head of AfDB
- African Development Bank expecting $55 billion per year
- More than 620 million in Africa lack access to electricity
Electricity power lines are seen above a field of maize in Delmas, South Africa.
Photographer: Nadine Hutton/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The African Development Bank’s new president wants to bring electricity to the poorest parts of the continent within a decade and says he can mobilize $55 billion a year to make it happen.
Akinwumi Adesina, who was elected to lead the lender in September, is undaunted by the scale of the challenge. At least 620 million people have no access to power, including vast populations in war-torn countries such as South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.