Future of Energy Conference: Africa must power production, not just consumption – Policy leaders

African countries must move beyond expanding electricity access for household consumption and focus on using energy as a catalyst for industrialisation, value addition and economic transformation, policy leaders at the Future of Energy Conference 2026 have said.

While African economies continue to pursue ambitious targets for universal electricity access, the experts argue that access alone will not deliver meaningful economic transformation unless energy systems are designed to support productive sectors.

At the conference, organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), experts stressed the need for African countries to align their energy strategies with industrial and economic development priorities.