LocationsThe Sahel can power its own future
July 9, 2025
Silhouettes of wind turbines against a vibrant sunset sky with orange and purple hues.
Imagine a Sahel region where every household, school, and hospital have access to clean, affordable energy, where renewable power not only serves homes but also drives economic transformation. Given the region’s rich solar, wind, and hydro resources, this vision is achievable. With one of the highest potentials for solar energy production globally, at 13.9 billion kWh/year compared to the global consumption of 20 billion kWh/year, the Sahel’s clean energy capacity remains underutilized. Currently, over 55% of energy production is dominated by fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, while renewable sources remain relatively marginal.
Over the last two decades, primary energy demand in almost half of the 10 UNISS Sahel countries has increased by more than 4% annually[1]. However, urban areas benefit disproportionately, leaving nearly half the population without electricity. Connectivity disparities are exacerbated by the high costs of power generation and infrastructure, with reliable electricity reaching only about 20% of the population.
Clean Energy: A Driver of Human Development
Clean energy in the Sahel is more than a technical solution—it’s a catalyst for sustainable human development. Policies that localize green energy solutions can end energy poverty and foster resilience. The transition from fossil fuels to renewables, as outlined in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), offers inclusive opportunities for growth, improved social outcomes, and environmental protection. Coordinated strategies can ensure climate resilience while prioritizing human welfare outcomes.
For women and young people, access to clean energy is transformative. It reduces reliance on time-intensive manual labour, opening opportunities for innovation and increased productivity across sectors. Solar-powered agricultural hubs could enable farmers to process their produce locally, thereby boosting incomes and reducing waste. Solar-powered irrigation could regenerate arid lands, combat food insecurity, and create sustainable livelihoods.
International Commitment to the Sahel
Cognizant of the region's potential, UNDP is implementing the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS), aiming to provide clean, affordable energy to over 150 million people by 2025. Since 2021, clean energy initiatives have benefitted more than 70.7 million people in areas like the Lake Chad Basin[2] and Liptako-Gourma[3]. These efforts, supported by partners such as Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the African Development Bank, Norway, Japan, and local stakeholders, leverage the productive use of energy to address structural energy poverty, taking into account climate and security considerations.
Initiatives such as the Africa Minigrids Programme, the Regional Stabilization Facility, the Sahel Resilience Project, and the Energy4Sahel initiative remain crucial to the region as they strengthen local regulatory capacities and empower communities to develop scalable, innovative solutions.Reshmi Theckethil, Lead Portfolio, Climate Action, Disaster Risk Reduction, Energy, and Resilience | Sahel Resilience Project Manager, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa
For example, in Mauritania, Aziza Sidi Bouna, Founder and CEO of SB-GAZ, designs biodigester prototypes that supply homes with clean energy at a fraction of the cost of propane gas, which is traditionally used for cooking. In Gambia, Jankey Jassey, a young clean energy expert and engineer, is at the forefront of creating space for young girls to work in the clean energy sector. In Guinea, a young researcher, Marc Tambo, undertook the bold task of mobilizing his community to build a micro-plant that could power an electric plant, thereby creating energy access for many and generating job opportunities for the community.
Strengthening Regional Collaboration
As the world shifts towards clean and equitable energy transitions, the region can spearhead sustainable and human-centred African green innovation. By collaborating with development partners, the private sector, and the diaspora, Sahelian countries can develop targeted green industrial policies to ensure and expedite necessary technology transfers, access to financing, as well as improvements in affordability and efficiency. To create long-term solutions that are not subject to temporary market distortions, incentives for commercial investments must be considered. These investments must yield lasting, customer-centric solutions that model cost-effective electrification scenarios and innovations aligned with socioeconomic development metrics.
Capitalizing on the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), these nations can expand market access, promote cross-border energy interconnectivity, and establish regional power pools. However, bridging the gap between ambitious policies and ground-level implementation requires sustained political commitment and strategic investments. Governments must ensure that ministries and agencies prioritize energy access policies, with transparent public dashboards that effectively track progress. Civil society involvement in oversight and expenditure analysis is critical to achieving national electrification targets.
Through partnerships, innovative incentives, and public-focused investments, the Sahel can close the energy gap and bridge the rural-urban divide. Clean energy offers a transformative path to sustainable and inclusive development. By fostering innovation and effectively leveraging resources, the Sahel can become a model for climate resilience and economic revitalization, achieving energy access and affordability up to the last mile.
[1] International Energy Agency (2022). Clean Energy Transitions in the Sahel. International Energy Agency. Paris.
[2] Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria
[3] A historically marginalised area at the intersection of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger