Access to energy and the digital world is crucial for communities in development. But, disruptions caused by the pandemic will have pushed some countries further away from achieving universal access to electricity by 2030 — a key Sustainable Development Goal. It’s predicted that by 2030, half of the world’s population without access to electricity will be concentrated in just seven countries – six of which are in Africa.
In a special three-part podcast series, Energising Africa, SciDev.Net investigates progress towards electricity, infrastructure and internet access in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Episode 1 | Energising Africa: energy poverty rising
Episode 2 | Energising Africa: crude oil vs climate
Episode 3 | Energising Africa: internet, interrupted
In this series, we hear how renewable energy and off-grid solutions will be central to powering Africa’s development, and closing the energy poverty gap. In episode two, we analyse whether the East African Crude Oil Pipeline will deliver economic gains or environmental devastation. And in our final episode, we ask why internet disruptions remain an everyday part of life in Sub-Saharan Africa, and whether there’s a growing trend of governments deliberately blocking online access.