“Reliable power supply critical to Africa’s economic growth”

Schneider Electric has called for greater attention to the reliability of electricity supply in Africa, saying dependable power is essential to sustaining economic growth and supporting businesses and critical services across the continent.

President of Schneider Electric’s Middle East and Africa, Walid Sheta, made the call in a statement titled, ‘Africa Does Not Have an Electricity Problem. It Has a Reliability Problem.’

According to him, about 53 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa has access to electricity, while more than 560 million people remain without power.

Sheta said the figures did not fully reflect the challenges faced by consumers because many connected households, businesses and public institutions continue to experience unreliable supply.

He cited health facilities, schools and factories as examples of institutions affected by interruptions in electricity supply, with some businesses forced to operate diesel generators alongside their grid connections.

The Schneider Electric executive said reliable electricity was particularly important as African economies continue to grow amid rising costs of fuel, fertiliser, shipping and food.

“This matters now because Africa has earned a moment it cannot afford to waste. The IMF estimates the region grew 4.5 per cent in 2025, the fastest pace in a decade, with 10 economies above 6 per cent, and Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda among the fastest-growing in the world. That growth was hard-won through reform, and it is now colliding with rising imported costs: fuel, fertiliser, shipping,” he said.

Quoting the IMF, he said a 20 per cent increase in international food prices could push more than 20 million people in the region into moderate or severe food insecurity.

Sheta said reliable electricity was critical to activities such as irrigation, refrigeration, milling and cold storage, which support food production and distribution.

He cited the Ikeja Electric in Lagos where it reportedly reduced grid system downtime by about 33 per cent through a phased digitisation of its distribution network.

Sheta said the examples showed how automation and digital technologies could improve the performance of existing electricity infrastructure.