In Berlin, Faure Gnassingbé calls for access to sustainable energies

At the 4th G20 Compact With Africa (G20-CwA) Summit in Germany, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé distinguished himself with his stance on sustainable energy. During a plea for African countries at a panel dedicated to energy supply and opportunities for trade and investment in emerging African markets, the Head of State advocated for equitable access to these energies.

At the 4th G20 Compact with Africa (G20-CwA) Summit, participants are deliberating on strengthening the partnership between the G20 and African countries in the renewable energy sector.

Regarding this issue, it is observed that the access rate to energy is relatively high in urban areas compared to rural areas. For Faure Gnassingbé, equitable access to sustainable energies constitutes a major challenge for the African continent. The demand for energy is constantly increasing due to demographic pressure and the inadequacy of production infrastructure.

In addition to this, there’s a lack of financing and constraints related to the unequal distribution of available resources between urban and rural areas.

“In Togo, we have 66% access to electricity in urban areas compared to 27% in rural areas. In these areas, biomass is used for daily life needs, which is a source of environmental pollution”,stated Faure Gnassingbé.

For the Togolese Head of State, Africa needs infrastructure in production, transportation, and distribution. Thus, to address these challenges, Faure Gnassingbé believes that the G20-Compact with Africa member states must strengthen public sector investment capacities and create opportunities that can serve as a catalyst for private investments.

It’s worth mentioning that in Berlin, Faure Gnassingbé met with the German Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. The two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation between Togo and Germany.

Justine Ako.