AU MEMBER STATES CALLED UPON TO PRIORITISE ENERGY IN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

Addis Ababa Ethiopia 12 November 2012- As Africa’s increasingly strong economic performance continues, the continent needs to generate enough energy to power the development. Most African countries have set ambitious development targets and availability of reliable, affordable and low cost power supply is vital. In this respect, African Union member states have been called upon to prioritise energy in their development strategies.

To address the pressing issue of energy in Africa, African experts are meeting in Addis Ababa from 12-15 November, ahead of the Second AU Conference of Energy Ministers of Africa (CEMA) to be held on the 16th of November. The theme of the CEMA meeting is: “Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development: From Potential to Infrastructure and Services”. The African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, and the Economic Commission for Africa are co-organizing the one week meeting. The meeting gives the AU Commission the opportunity to report on the implementation of the Maputo Declaration of Energy Ministers, in particular on various renewable energy sources.

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