'Nobody Wants to Breathe Clean Air in Dark': African Official on West's Push for Green Energy

It’s senseless to talk about the so-called leapfrog of the continent to the renewables in case of lack of a proper financing, NJ Ayuk, the executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber told Sputnik Africa.

"You know, people always talk about leapfrogging. It is possible to have a leapfrog into green energy. You can’t tell someone to pull up your bootstraps, but then you take the boots away. Africa is receiving less than 2% of renewable energy investment globally. How are you going to leapfrog? How are you going to move to green energy?" he raised the question.

According to him, the energy transition that presupposes blackouts like the one’s South Africa is experiencing, is not far the best way of development.

"Africa's most industrialized country, South Africa, is in the dark. So if this South African energy transition plan is working and the results are 8 to 10 hours a day of darkness, that's not a principle that I want, you know, in Nigeria or Cameroon or Ghana or Gabon to copy. Where are we transitioning from? From the dark to the dark? Nobody wants to breathe clean air in the dark. We want to have clean air with lights," he outlined.

According to NJ Ayuk, western countries are neglecting Africa’s energy issues due to the fact that they think it’s "that's okay" for the Africans to suffer, "they just deserve to be there".

"I think they are overlooking it because it's not happening to them. If you are in a wealthy country today or in a Western country today, and you don't have electricity for four or 5 hours, it's a national crisis. It’s a state of emergency. And so, if that is happening in Africa, well, 'That's okay. They just deserve to be there.' And I think that's a problem," Ayuk explained.

The official pointed out to the fact that unequal attitude towards the Africans is a "fundamental problem".

"That's a fundamental problem that we have to look at. A young girl in the Scandinavia is not more important than a young girl in Uganda or Tanzania. These are all human beings. They are all God's children. They all deserve to be treated with dignity that they deserve. And that is the kind of world that we want to see," the official noted.

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He noted that Europe should respect the Africans and perceive them as equal partners, and, thus, quit "a mentality of giving lectures to Africans”.

"And, you know, too bad for my friends in Western nations. I love them, but I think that they should turn away from a mindset and a mentality of giving lectures to Africans. If they want to work with Africans, they need to partner with Africans. That's what we are doing right here In Russia. We Africans are saying that we want equal partnership that is win-win and that is respectful. And I think if we do that with any every other continent, then the world would respect our people," he pointed out.

He also stressed that financial aid that is promised by the European nations "never comes".

"And then they are at the same time promising people foreign aid that never comes. Where is $100 billion they promised for climate funds? It never came," he stressed.

According to the official, the continent’s refining capacity is very low.

"But also our refining capacity is very, very bad. We are used to refining in Europe and bringing back [it] to Africa," Ayuk said.

Nevertheless, he stressed that thanks to the Africa’s resources many locals may get job opportunities, there will be no need to leave the continent in search for work.

"Countries like Namibia, there is going to be jobs, jobs for young people, jobs for young people in Egypt, with gas coming out of the image from the Mauritania-Senegal basin. So, these young Africans do not have to set out to go to Europe to find opportunity on the European streets or go to Dubai or go to America. They can find opportunity right at home in Africa. That is what natural resources mean," the official outlined.

In addition, according to Ayuk, the African gas may eliminate Africa’s energy poverty.

"But also, this is also about making energy poverty [go away]. South Africa, massive gas discoveries, 8 to 10 hours a day without electricity. That is not good. So this gas can be brought into the grid. And if you want to phase down coal, that is the decision. You could bring natural gas, and they could drive that," he outlined.

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He stressed that the continent today is on the way to new achievements, adding that the Africans ought to make the continent’s resources useful for regular people.

"Africa stands at the cusp of doing something amazing. And this is the time when we do not have to make the mistakes of the past. We have to look at the future and really make these resources work for everyday people," he said.

Speaking of electricity and its accessibility all over the continent, Auyk pointed out that what is needed to improve the situation is to utilize all the resources available for the locals.

"We need to use oil, we need to use gas, we need to use coal, we need to use renewables. All of the above – energy. We need to go on an aggressive 'All of the above – energy' approach to make sure that we make energy poverty history by 2030. That is the biggest crisis the continent is facing," the official elaborated.

He stressed that Africa needs to find a balance between its fuel and introducing green energy.

"We have to find that rightful balance between using fossil fuels for good, because fossil fuels are good, but also bringing in renewables into our energy system because renewables are also good," the executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber stated.

According to the official, the key factor for Africa’s development is its self-sufficiency in terms of resources.

"But then we need to be left alone to use our resources to power our people, to develop our continent so that we can no longer be going out there to beg for aid. That independence, that self-sufficiency, is really a key to Africa's growth," he stressed.