France’s former energy minister Jean Louis Borloo has urged African countries to fund energy projects to achieve universal access to energy on the entire African continent. 
“There are ideal conditions for Africa to realize its energy potentials, and its population should be a factor of development not an obstacle to development,” Borloo said when he spoke on Monday in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital, on the sidelines of the 16th summit of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
According to him, there is sufficient international private funds to finance existing energy projects.
“But there’s something that happened for other continents that is lacking, this small part of public finances and grants that can make the projects sustainable across the continent,” he said.
He urged African countries to mobilize 50 billion euros in the next ten years, hence bringing total funding to energy sector to 250 billion euros which will help to increase energy coverage on the continent from 30 to 100 percent within ten years.
Meeting in N’Djamena in 2014, energy ministers from ECCAS member states adopted measures aimed at reducing energy deficit witnessed in the region.
Central Africa region has the highest energy potential on the continent with a capacity of 650,000 GW per annum, which is equivalent to 57 percent. It also has other energy sources such as solar, biomass, wind, gas and petroleum.
Despite this potential, Central Africa remains the least electrified region on the African continent. Enditem
-Xinhua
