Climate activists offer path to renewable energy adoption in Africa

AS Africa Day held yesterday, activists have canvassed tackling of barriers to community- centered renewable energy systems and phasing out of fossil fuels to check climate impacts on the continent.

They spoke while unveiling findings of a research by 350. org that highlighted obstacles to renewable energy adoption in West Africa. Among the barriers are lack of awareness, limited technical competence and knowhow, investment, lack of tax incentives, absence of local manufacturing and assembly plants and insufficient policy and regulatory frameworks.

The study focused on the state of renewable energy in Benin, Togo, Ghana and Nigeria, underscoring potential areas of intervention to support adoption and foster a just transition in Africa.

It advocated sustainable promotion of renewable energy in the aforementioned countries, by raising awareness of its benefits and opportunities, removal of financial barriers, implementation of enabling policies, encouragement of innovation and research, as well as upskilling of workers.

The investigation was launched, as civil society organisations ( CSOS) and grassroots groups, under the Afrika Vuka network, harped on renewable energy as tangible solution to the region’s power and climate crises.

Climate activist and founder, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem ( GIFSEP), Nigeria, Michael Terungwa, said: “We need safe, reliable and sustainable energy systems to drive our economies. Continued dependence on polluting fossil fuels is not an option for us, as it has resulted in a climate crisis that is devastating communities.”