The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has said energy security is critical to Africa’s industrial transformation.

Director of ECA’s Technology, Innovation, Connectivity, and Infrastructure Development Division, Robert Lisinge, said this in a statement.

Mr Lisinge spoke during a high-level meeting in Kigali, Rwanda to review a draft Continental Energy Security Policy Framework.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders from across the continent to assess the draft policy developed by the ECA in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and other partners.

Mr Lisinge said energy security had been a long-standing challenge for Africa and must now take centre stage as the continent accelerated its industrial agenda.

He said, “The need for a national energy security strategy has been decades in the making and is considered the backbone of Africa’s next-level industrialisation. But to get there, we need to lay the groundwork with national energy security strategies to address energy insecurities and resultant impacts.’’

Mr Lisinge explained that organisations reviewing the ECA’s draft framework were responsible for shaping the overall direction and scope of the final policy document.

He stated, “The meeting, which comes ahead of the 2025 Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa, examined persistent issues such as high electricity costs, unreliable power supply, limited infrastructure, and inadequate financing. It explored regional cooperation, policy alignment with initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Agenda 2063, and the Single African Electricity Market. It also explored the role of emerging technologies in improving energy access.”

Mr Andrew Mold, Director of ECA’s Office for Eastern Africa, said the cost of electricity remained a barrier to economic competitiveness in the region.

“The ECA’s work on the regional energy security framework for Eastern Africa is a foundation toward a more secure energy future for the region. And the continental framework will further advance supply of reliable energy to support economic transformation,” he said.

Energy Policy Expert at the AUC, Shehu Khaleel, stressed the importance of aligning the proposed framework with the continent’s long-term development agenda.

He stated, “Africa’s energy future requires a comprehensive and coordinated policy framework that aligns with sustainable development goals and Agenda 2063.’’

Peter Kinuthia, Senior Energy Expert, African Union Development Agency- New partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), said the framework was an opportunity to define a common vision for energy security that would power the continent’s development.

“We aim to have the framework tabled at the upcoming meeting of the AUC Special Technical Committee in Addis Ababa in September. Stakeholders have high expectations that it will be adopted in early 2026,” he said.

The meeting was attended by a broad spectrum of institutions including ECA, AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA), and African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR).

The regional power pools, the East African Community, the East African Regulators Association, and women stakeholders in energy and climate change also attended the meeting.

The Continental Energy Security Policy Framework, once adopted, is expected to guide national and regional efforts in achieving universal energy access, economic resilience, and a just energy transition across Africa.

(NAN)