A Kenyan scholar said China-Africa cooperation in the energy sector is based on mutual trust and shared benefits.
Peter Kagwanja, chief executive officer of Nairobi-based Pan-African think-tank Africa Policy Institute (API), made the remarks Friday on the sidelines of a forum on China-Africa cooperation on the energy sector under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The event was co-organized by API and China National Petroleum Corporation Economic and Technological Research Institute.
He said that renewable energy presents the new frontier for robust China-Africa cooperation, adding that Chinese technology is key to fully developing Africa's renewable energy potential.
He emphasized that Africa required reliable power supply to propel industrial growth while investments, technology and expertise from China would help bridge a huge access gap in the continent.
"Africa needs a lot of energy to industrialize. We need China to bring technology, to raise electricity capacity to a level where we can sustain industrialization," said Kagwanja.
He said that energy security in Africa, where only about 47 percent of the population have access to electricity connection, is key to empowering citizens and driving industrial transformation in the continent.
Kagwanja said that African countries can draw lessons from China to bridge access gap that bodes ill for the continent's quest to accelerate sustainable development.
He decried false narratives about China's involvement in Africa's energy sector, terming them an attempt to drive a wedge between two long-standing bilateral partners.
Editor:Cherie
