A senior figure at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) has argued that expanding electricity access in Africa must go beyond simply connecting households to the grid. Carol Koech, speaking in a recent Q&A, stressed that electrification efforts need to be designed to transform communities and livelihoods, creating opportunities for productive use that can generate jobs and economic growth.
The emphasis on productive use of electricity shifts the conversation from basic lighting to powering small businesses, agriculture, and manufacturing. Koech's remarks come as many African nations still grapple with low electrification rates, where connections often fail to translate into broader development gains. Without deliberate planning, she suggested, new power infrastructure risks merely illuminating homes without tackling unemployment or local enterprise.
GEAPP, a philanthropic alliance backed by organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation and IKEA Foundation, has been active in financing decentralized renewable energy projects across sub-Saharan Africa. The alliance focuses on scaling mini-grids and solar home systems that can support productive loads, such as irrigation pumps and grain mills. Investments typically target regions where grid extension is uneconomical in the short term.
The debate highlights a tension between rapid household electrification—a common metric for development agencies—and the slower, more complex work of building ecosystems that allow electricity to fuel income generation. Critics note that measuring success by connections alone can lead to underutilized infrastructure, while proponents of a livelihood-focused approach call for integrated planning that pairs power supply with enterprise support and financing.
Counter_argument: Some energy analysts argue that focusing on productive use risks delaying basic electrification for millions who still lack lighting and refrigeration, which themselves enable essential services like healthcare and education.