Affordable, reliable energy key to creating jobs in Africa – Seplat CEO

Affordable and reliable energy provides the right platform for businesses in Africa to create and retain jobs for its fast growing population and further make the Continent sustainable.

Access to energy and energy security remains critical for the Continent, and Africa needs “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern electricity for all” to drive the realization of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 7.

The Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Roger Brown said this whilst delivering a Keynote at the ongoing Africa Oil Week (AOW) in Cape Town, South Africa, themed “How Seplat is Driving Sustainability Through Energy Transition and Security in Nigeria.”

According to the Brown, up to 600 million Africans have little or no access to energy, because energy infrastructure had remained poor and lacking the right investments.

“Affordable and reliable energy allows businesses to create jobs in Africa giving the fast growing population a future in their country of birth, thereby avoiding mass migration,” he told attendees at the conference.

He added: ”900 million Africans cook using biomass, and this is causing all sorts of problems – it steals time from the women and children who have to collect firewood for cooking, it causes smoke pollution that in turn causes poor health, and it’s estimated to cost the lives of nearly 500,000 Africans every year. This is unacceptable and we need to change it.

“This is the problem we have to solve for Africa and its people, not just the billion Africans today but the 2.5 billion that will call this amazing continent home in 30 years’ time.”

In a few years from now, 50 per cent of people with no access to electricity will be living in just seven countries, Nigeria being one of them.