Energy poverty is the single biggest obstacle to the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) – a trade agreement designed to boost intra-African trade – according to Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (NEPAD).
Speaking at the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum – organized by the African Energy Chamber – Bekele-Thomas emphasized that Africa must urgently scale up investment in integrated energy infrastructure to meet its Agenda 2060 objectives.
“The future of African energy is not fragmented – it is integrated and continental,” she stated.
Bekele-Thomas highlighted NEPAD’s accelerated rollout of the Continental Master Plan (CMP), which aims to integrate the continent’s power transmission networks and unlock efficient cross-border electricity trade.
“The CMP is not just a theoretical exercise. We are building a single African electricity market – the world’s largest interconnected system – to move solar power from the Sahara, hydropower from the Congo Basin, and gas resources across borders to strengthen energy security for all 55 countries,” she explained.
Despite Africa’s abundant energy resources, she noted that a shortage of bankable projects is deterring investment. To address this, NEPAD is deploying its Service Delivery Mechanism (SDM) to provide African project developers with the technical expertise and accelerate the development of complex, cross-border energy projects.
“The SDM is our accelerator. It provides the technical support needed to move intricate regional projects forward. And through the NEPAD Public–Private Partnership Program, we signal to global investors that a project has been thoroughly vetted and is ready for financing,” she said.
Bekele-Thomas added that NEPAD is packaging regional transmission projects as strategic corridors rather than standalone initiatives, ensuring they attract capital while advancing Africa’s integration agenda.
“We are not looking at transmission lines in isolation; we are blending them into strategic corridors. This maximizes economic impact, strengthens investor confidence and reinforces our commitment to Africa-led institutions,” she said.
She also underscored the vital role of African multilateral financial institutions in mobilizing international capital for infrastructure development.
“As we build this infrastructure, we must think beyond generating electrons. Energy must power people — but it must also empower SMEs, enable digital services, and unlock productive uses across sectors,” reiterated Bekele-Thomas.
