Africa has the answer to the global energy crisis

With rising energy prices across Europe, Abdoulie Ceesay asks whether investment into Africa's solar infrastructure can make the continent a leader in achieving a global green energy transition.

Europe used to pioneer the green energy transition – but with the Ukraine war, the global playing field drastically changed overnight. Ahead of the worst financial crisis since World War II, exasperated by reliance on Russian energy, the green transition paused.

The future looks dark: the world's richest economies are crippling, and will soon be tormented by power blackouts. Dreadful energy policies across Europe have culminated in astronomical prices, industry shutdowns, energy shortages and heightened geopolitical vulnerability.

What Europe urgently needs is a new industrial master plan beyond mere focus on survival – after all, high energy prices are expected to persist for years, and without new energy sources the continent risks deindustrialisation.

However, an answer comes – surprisingly – from Africa. While the European energy transition has utterly failed, Africa is home to untapped solar energy reserves – which hold the power to not only resolve the energy crisis but also to transform the global energy supply.

Some 84% of Europeans believe that unless we dramatically reduce our energy consumption, we are nearing a global catastrophe. So far politicians – even green energy champions – have relied on quick fixes: governments have extended the lifespans of their nuclear plants while turning a blind eye to outside solutions, like the one from my home continent, Africa.

Africa is the most solar rich – yet the most underutilised – continent in the world. 60% of the planet's solar reserves are in Africa, but only 1% is generated into solar energy. Harnessing Africa's solar power would be a game changer for Europe's energy crisis.

But why hasn't this happened by now?

There's a long legacy of sidelining Africa on the world stage. Today, this history of exploitation by foreign powers continues under the guise of 'economic development', with Western nations robbing Africa's natural resources for short-term gains. Instead of investing in African renewables, Western investors have long preferred harmful fossil fuels with quicker profits.

But this problem isn't confined to Africa. According to the International Monetary Fund, global fossil fuels receive over $5 trillion in subsidies while renewable subsidies are a mere $140 billion. These subsidies enable energy producers like Shell to profit – and ultimately fund – the Ukraine war.

The investment into renewables must be viewed increasingly as a core component of Europe's energy security. At this year's 'Africa Roundtable' the former German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed Africa's enormous potential, arguing that 'the stability of Africa was imperative for Europe's survival'.

Africa serves as the world's greatest energy paradox: the continent has underexplored potential for energy production but lacks necessary technologies to harness this potential. And the technology transfer has been painfully slow to materialise.

But there's hope. Renewable energy is predicted to become the number one source for global energy generation in two years' time with solar power expected to surpass coal power by 2027. Compared to other renewables, solar power is relatively cheap with less geographical limitations.

Until Africa oversees its green energy transition – it won't succeed. Africans are also to blame; for too long, epidemic top-down bureaucracy and corruption have hindered any real progress. But the largest barrier is a lack of political will.

For centuries, Africa has been Europe's playing field. The history of exploitation of Africa's natural resources has led many African leaders to harbor feelings of resentment. Our emissions are far from those of European nations so why couldn't we exploit natural resources for our own gains?

Thus, the energy transition must begin from the community level – led by local political and religious leaders alike who can mobilise even the most remote segments of their communities to challenge this narrative. Because our reliance on fossil fuels will not only harm the wider world, but our abilities to pave the way for the African energy transition.

Thankfully, many African countries have realised this, setting up some of the world's most ambitious 'green growth' targets. As an African Parliamentarian, I have been fortunate to lead this process by bringing the Faith and Climate Forum to my home country, The Gambia. Organised last week by a global interfaith coalition, Faith For Our Planet, this ground-breaking initiative brought African faith leaders at the forefront of the climate policy debate.

Led by the world's largest Islamic non-governmental organisation, the Muslim World League, and its Secretary General, Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, these initiatives are vital to empower and uplift African voices – they should not be outliers, but serve as models for a more just and inclusive green energy transition in Africa and beyond.

Warning signs of a 'global societal collapse' are already here. Yet European nations would rather launch solar panels into space than invest in African solar infrastructure, which could one day power 39% of the world's renewables. It's high time Europe realises we already have the answer to the global energy crisis – the continent I'm proud to call home.