Rationing looms in Africa energy crisis

MARRAKESH, Morocco (Reuters) – Sub-Saharan Africa must urgently impose power rationing on companies and populations to limit the effects of a worsening energy crisis, industry and government experts said.

Decades of underinvestment in electricity networks and growing populations mean the poorest 20 percent in the region has no access to electricity.


Even in wealthier African countries such as Nigeria, reliability of supply is often so poor that all large businesses need their own generators. Widespread and damaging blackouts in southern Africa are testing the patience of citizens and dragging down economic growth.

Industry and government experts at a two-day energy conference in Marrakesh said it was urgent to boost maintainance of ageing power stations and transmission lines and add new ones to satisfy growing demand.

Reuters