Energy Sovereignty in the Context of the Global Energy Transition: What Africa Should Know”

Riverson Oppong, PhD.
Mar 15
5 min read

Dr. Riverson speaks at a podium in a lecture hall, addressing an audience seated in tiered rows. A screen displays a presentation.

The global energy transition is frequently presented as a straightforward shift away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy. Yet for Africa, the issue is far more complex. The shift is already underway. The critical question, therefore, is how African countries navigate this transformation without undermining their prospects for industrialisation, energy security, and long-term economic development.

For a continent still grappling with deep energy deficits, the stakes are unusually high. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, hundreds of millions of people remain without reliable electricity and clean cooking solutions. Energy policy in this context cannot be treated purely as an environmental debate. It is fundamentally about development, economic opportunity, and human well-being. If the transition is approached without recognising these realities, Africa risks trading one form of dependency for another.

On 6th February 2026, I was honoured to deliver a keynote presentation on the theme “Energy Sovereignty in the Context of the Global Energy Transition: What Africa Should Know,” at a public lecture organised by the Energy Media Group Ghana. The event brought together energy leaders, policymakers, industry professionals, students, and members of the media at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) Africa in Accra. The gathering sought to examine one of the defining questions of Africa’s economic future.

The reflections that follow draw from my keynote address and the discussions during the lecture, highlighting the strategic considerations Africa must confront as the global energy system undergoes profound transformation.

Energy Sovereignty: Beyond Resource Ownership

Africa possesses significant natural resources—oil, gas, sunlight, wind, and critical minerals essential to the global energy system. Yet resource abundance alone does not guarantee prosperity.

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Energy sovereignty must therefore be understood in practical rather than symbolic terms. It is not simply the constitutional ownership of resources. True sovereignty exists when countries control the entire energy value chain: extraction, processing, domestic allocation, pricing, and export strategy.

Without that control, Africa’s vast natural endowment will continue to generate wealth elsewhere while the continent captures only marginal value.

The objective must shift from resource ownership to value creation.

History Shows Energy Systems Evolve—They Rarely Disappear

Debates about the future of energy often assume that new sources rapidly replace old ones. History tells a different story.

Coal did not vanish when oil became dominant. Oil did not disappear with the rise of natural gas or nuclear power. Each transition expanded the global energy system rather than replacing it.

This historical pattern suggests that hydrocarbons will remain part of the global energy mix for decades, particularly in sectors such as petrochemicals, aviation, fertilisers, steel, and cement. These industries form the backbone of modern economies.

The real challenge is therefore not the elimination of hydrocarbons, but the reduction of carbon intensity while maintaining economic productivity.

For Africa, this distinction is critical.

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Industrialisation Requires Realistic Energy Choices

The materials that support modern life—cement, steel, plastics, and fertilisers—are inherently energy-intensive to produce. Restricting hydrocarbon use prematurely, before scalable alternatives exist, risks slowing infrastructure development and undermining food systems across the continent.

Energy access is directly tied to economic transformation. Reliable electricity enables manufacturing, digital economies, modern healthcare systems, and educational advancement.

Without abundant and affordable energy, industrialisation becomes extremely difficult.

The energy transition must therefore be managed in a way that supports development rather than constraining it.

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Africa’s Resource Paradox

For decades, Africa has operated within a structural contradiction. The continent exports crude oil, raw minerals, and unprocessed commodities while importing refined fuels and manufactured goods.

This extract-and-export model captures minimal value domestically and reinforces economic dependency.

Energy sovereignty requires breaking this cycle.

Investment must focus on the infrastructure that enables value addition: refineries, petrochemical facilities, smelters, power generation systems, and transport networks. These assets create jobs, deepen industrial capacity, and strengthen economic resilience.

Without such investments, Africa risks repeating the same pattern in emerging sectors such as critical minerals for clean energy technologies.

Climate Action Can Create Economic Opportunity

The climate agenda is often framed as a constraint on developing economies. In reality, certain climate measures can generate both environmental and economic benefits.

Methane reduction provides a clear example. Reducing gas flaring and leakage improves public health, increases the volume of usable domestic gas supply, and can generate revenue through carbon finance mechanisms.

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Technologies such as Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) may also play an important role in managing emissions from sectors that are difficult to decarbonize.

Renewable energy will undoubtedly be central to Africa’s future energy mix. However, at current deployment rates, renewables alone cannot close the continent’s enormous energy access gap.

A balanced energy system—combining renewables, natural gas, and emerging low-carbon technologies—will likely define Africa’s pathway forward.

Regional Cooperation Will Strengthen Africa’s Position

Energy sovereignty does not require isolation. In many respects, sovereignty at scale may depend on deeper regional cooperation.

Integrated power markets, cross-border infrastructure, and continental trade frameworks can reduce systemic energy costs while expanding markets for investment.

Regional collaboration also strengthens Africa’s negotiating position in global energy discussions. Individually, many African countries are small players in global markets. Collectively, they represent a powerful strategic bloc.

Africa’s energy future may therefore depend as much on cooperation between nations as on domestic policy reform.

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Defining Africa’s Own Energy Transition

The most important principle is simple: Africa must define its own energy transition.

External actors will naturally pursue their own economic interests. That is neither surprising nor unreasonable. However, African countries must ensure that global climate agendas do not inadvertently undermine their development priorities.

The continent is not transitioning from energy abundance to cleaner systems. It is transitioning from energy scarcity toward energy sufficiency.

This distinction fundamentally reshapes the policy conversation.

Africa’s energy strategy must prioritise three outcomes simultaneously:

Expanding energy access
Supporting industrialization
Managing environmental impact responsibly

These objectives are not mutually exclusive. They require strategic planning, institutional discipline, and long-term investment.

The Most Valuable Resource Is Human Capability

Ultimately, energy sovereignty is not determined only by what lies beneath the ground. It depends on the quality of institutions, the strength of policy frameworks, and the depth of local expertise.

Engineers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and researchers will determine whether Africa captures value from its resources or continues to export opportunity.

In this sense, the continent’s most valuable resource is not oil, gas, sunlight, or minerals.

It is the capacity of its people to design and manage the systems that will power Africa’s future.

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A Pragmatic Path Forward

The global energy transition presents both risks and opportunities. Africa cannot afford to approach it passively, nor can it reject it outright.

The challenge is to engage strategically—ensuring that decarbonization efforts support, rather than hinder, economic transformation.

Africa’s energy future must therefore be pragmatic, development-focused, and sovereignty-driven.

If managed wisely, the transition could become not a constraint on Africa’s progress, but a catalyst for a new era of industrial growth and economic resilience.