United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has declared that Africa possesses all it needs to become a “renewable superpower,” urging greater global investment in green energy across the continent.
Speaking on Thursday at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), a three-day summit hosted in Japan, Guterres called for urgent mobilization of finance and technology to unlock Africa’s renewable energy potential.
“We must mobilise finance and technology, so that Africa’s natural wealth benefits African people. We must build a thriving renewables and manufacturing base across the continent,” he said. “Green power in Africa lowers energy costs, diversifies supply chains and accelerates decarbonisation for everyone.”
The conference, attended by African leaders including Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Kenyan President William Ruto, comes as many African nations face mounting debt, dwindling Western aid, and the worsening effects of climate change.
China has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into Africa over the past decade through its Belt and Road Initiative, financing ports, railways, and other infrastructure. However, new lending has slowed, leaving developing nations grappling with what the Lowy Institute recently described as a “tidal wave” of debt owed to China and international private creditors.
Guterres warned that “debt must not drown development,” stressing the need for more concessional financing and expanded lending capacity from multilateral development banks. He also urged stronger investments in climate solutions, noting Africa’s abundance of solar, wind, and critical minerals vital for clean technologies.
The summit also highlighted new Japan-Africa initiatives. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced plans to train 30,000 Africans in artificial intelligence over three years, while exploring a Japan-Africa Economic Partnership. He further outlined a vision for a distribution network connecting African and Indian Ocean nations.
On the sidelines, President Ruto revealed ongoing talks with Japanese automaker Toyota for the provision of 5,000 “e-mobility vehicles” to boost Kenya’s clean energy drive. Tinubu and Ramaphosa, meanwhile, emphasized on social media the need to transition from aid-based relationships to sustainable investment partnerships.
