UN Secretary-General says Africa has potential to emerge as a global renewable energy leader.
UN Chief: Africa Can Be a Global Leader in Renewable Energy
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday that Africa has the resources and potential to emerge as a “renewable superpower,” urging the international community to boost financing and investment in clean energy across the continent.
Speaking at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Guterres stressed the need to mobilize technology and capital so that Africa’s abundant natural wealth directly benefits its people. “We must create a thriving renewables and manufacturing base across the continent,” he told delegates, adding that clean power in Africa could lower energy costs, strengthen supply chains, and drive global decarbonization.
The gathering in Japan, attended by African leaders, comes as the continent struggles with a debt crisis intensified by shrinking Western aid, ongoing conflicts, and climate pressures. Tokyo is positioning itself as an alternative development partner to China, which has poured billions into African infrastructure projects under its Belt and Road initiative.
Guterres cautioned that “debt must not drown development,” calling for more concessional financing and greater lending capacity from multilateral development banks. He also pushed for stronger investment in climate-related solutions, noting Africa’s vast solar, wind, and critical mineral reserves that underpin modern technology.
Among the attendees were Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Kenyan President William Ruto. Ruto announced on social media that Kenya is negotiating with Toyota for 5,000 electric vehicles to support the country’s clean energy transition.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, opening the forum, pledged to train 30,000 Africans in artificial intelligence over the next three years and floated the idea of a Japan-Africa Economic Partnership. He also unveiled plans for a new distribution network linking African and Indian Ocean nations.
Both Tinubu and Ramaphosa emphasized the need for a shift from traditional aid to long-term investment partnerships, signaling a broader call for sustainable development models.
