What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

Sub-Saharan Africa, home to 80% of the global population without electricity access, is unlikely to reach the United Nations' goal of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030.

The region is significantly behind the rest of the world. Globally, access to electricity increased from 79% of the population in 2000 to 90% in 2019. In sub-Saharan Africa, access to electricity rose from 26% to 47%, and most who don't have access live in rural areas, according to World Bank data.

The World Bank predicts that, based on current electricity connection and population growth trends, sub-Saharan Africa will have more than 400 million people unconnected to electricity by 2030.

A lack of access to reliable electricity has a significant negative impact on living standards. For example, it can limit the provision of quality public services such as health care, education and water. It also creates a barrier to access to digital services, holding back participation in an increasingly digital global economy.

Lack of access is not the only challenge for sub-Saharan African countries. Existing connections are unreliable too. About 43% of Africans had access to electricity that worked "most" or "all" of the time in 2022. Reliability issues are typically more common in rural areas.

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