Senegalese President, Macky Sall, on Saturday, said Africa should develop an energy mix rather than falling for the trap of renewable energy.
He said this in Kigali at the opening of New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Summit at the ongoing 27th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit.
New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is an economic development program of the African Union.
Sall, who is also Chairman of NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC), said that a balanced energy mix was what Africa needed to ensure its autonomy in energy production.
He said that all other continents had a balanced energy mix and Africa should follow suit in order to solve the problem of energy plaguing the continent.
“Of course, we need to use clean and renewable energy, but our donors, especially the African Development Bank (AfDB), should continue to finance ongoing projects in Africa.
“Since Africa is not part of those who basically threaten the ozone layer because our share in ozone pollution is marginal, Africa should strongly re-affirm its commitment on the climate convention.
“But, we need also to keep a balance of the energy mix in order for us to settle the problem of energy on the continent,’’ he said.
Sall said that heads of states’ support to NEPAD was bearing fruits, but that they needed to orientate their political frameworks toward the development of new growth engines that favour industrialisation and improvement.
He also said that the continent needed to develop a new developmental approach that would help achieve the desired change to grow it.
“To win this change approach, we need to have a new development approach for our continent, meet the needs of our population, enforce regional cooperation and integration and promote inclusive prosperity.
“These are our legitimate aspirations that are translated in the Agenda 2063,’’ he said.
The HSGOC chairman said that NEPAD programme could lead the continent to the achievement of such objectives through the implementation and execution of concrete projects in order to create durable conditions for sound growth.
“NEPAD has succeeded in its main mission of coordinating and planning programmes, but it should refocus its activities for a more streamlined planning of its policies in order to achieve better efficiency in its activities.
“African agriculture has become an important driver for economic transformation and integration through the Malabo declaration of the value chains that offer employment prospect to the youth and women.
“This is done while contributing to the promotional and agricultural trade,’’ he added.
He also said that in the next G-20 summit in China, Africa would plead for the establishment of an international mechanism that favour technology and knowledge transfer.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NEPAD is an economic development program of the AU, adopted at the 37th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in July, 2001 in Lusaka, Zambia.
The programme aims at providing an overarching vision and policy framework for accelerating economic cooperation and integration among African countries.
Its agenda at the summit includes industrialisation on the continent toward inclusive and sustainable development and reflections on the Ethiopian experience in industrialisation.