Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says energy poverty has to be tackled headlong for African countries to attain middle-income status and inclusive prosperity for their people.

In a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, Mr Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, said the vice president delivered a special public lecture at the University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) in Philadelphia, U.S.

Speaking on “Energy Transition in Africa”, Mr Osinbajo outlined specific pathways that would lead to climate-positive economic growth on the continent and simultaneously realise the global net-zero emissions targets.

“Africa’s endowments, renewable energy, natural resources and a young workforce present a compelling set of circumstances for several pathways to climate-positive growth.

“Low emissions consumption and production, the point being that Africa can, instead of going the carbon-intensive path to providing energy, goods and services for its own needs, take full advantage of green technologies and practices.

“There is the distinct advantage that Africa can actually pursue a green course of growth without worrying about costly legacy infrastructure.”

The vice president said the second pathway involved recognising that global zero carbon ambitions could be realised without intentional carbon removal technologies and practices.

He said Africa could ramp up her potential to do it at scale through a combination of planned land use, ecosystem management, and investment in emerging engineered removal technologies.

“The third pathway is that, with its abundant reserves of renewable energy and raw materials, Africa can become a hugely competitive green manufacturing and energy hub for the world that could also accelerate the greening of global industry.

“Thus, the paradox of an energy-poor continent becoming the green industrial powerhouse of the world is easily resolvable and must be.”

The vice president proposed that the developed world change its perception of Africa.

He charged that the continent should not be seen merely as a victim but as a solution in the climate change conversations and attaining the global net zero targets by 2050-2060.

On energy poverty, Mr Osinbajo argued that it could only be resolved if there was a significant investment in renewable energy.

“And that can only happen if we create the energy-intense anchor demand that makes the investment in additional renewable energy bankable.

“Therefore, it is not which comes first – renewable energy generation capacity or industrial deployment, both must be developed concurrently.”

Mr Osinbajo also spoke on Africa’s dependence on its oil and gas resources.

He said that using gas as a transition fuel would not significantly derail the commitment to carbon-negative growth.

“Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan attempts to chart an energy transition pathway which has as its bedrock the development of renewable energy, specifically solar.

“The plan is to develop 250 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2060,” he said.

Previous speakers featured at the UPENN Special Lecture series hosted by the U.S. Ivy League University’s Centre for Africana Studies include Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and the president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Earlier in her welcome remarks, Beth Winkelstein, interim provost, UPENN, said the planet was facing an existential struggle against climate change for the earth.

“And indeed, for us to last, we must join with our fellow nations around the world in this struggle.”

(NAN)