SWOT Analysis for Renewable Energy in Africa: Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

Africa is endowed with enormous energy resources - both fossil fuels and renewables. Renewable energy resources alone can largely satisfy the energy needs of the continent as most of the renewables are no longer costlier than fossil fuels. They have great added advantages in sustainability, flexibility, socio-economic benefits, and leave a significatly lower environmental footprint. Africa’s renewable energy resources are diverse, evenly distributed over the continent and enormous in quantity. Despite almost unlimited renewable energy resources, not more than 20%, and in some countries as little as 5% of the population has direct access to electricity. Many policy makers have already realised that the end of energy poverty and poverty in general, reside in large- and small-scale deployment of renewable energy technologies. Noticeable progress is being made in almost all African countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this article is to highlight the effort made by different countries in harnessing their renewable resources and the challenges they face. It looks at the strengths of renewable energy in Africa, characterised by the enormous reserves; it looks at the weaknesses and obstacles, the opportunities in the renewable energy sector and achievements, challenges and prospects in the wake of some African economies becoming the fastest growing in the world. The projects and realisations mentioned in this article are just illustrative examples among many renewable energy technology initiatives on the continent.