Despite Africa holding some of the world’s largest untapped energy resources, from vast solar reserves to enormous hydropower potential, millions across the continent are still plagued by unreliable electricity supply and persistent power outages due to underinvestment in power grid infrastructure.

This was the key message delivered by Philippe Piron, the President of Electrification and CEO for Grid Solutions and Power Conversion and Storage de GE VERNOVA, during the opening day of the Africa Forward Summit 2026 held at the University of Nairobi.

Addressing delegates that comprised policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and development leaders, Piron argued that Africa’s next economic transformation will depend not only on generating electricity, but on building the transmission and digital infrastructure capable of moving power efficiently across borders, industrial plants and cities.

The Africa Forward Summit, a high-level Kenya-France partnership initiative co-hosted by President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron, serves as a key platform for strengthening Africa’s global partnerships through investment, innovation and sustainable development.

Held under the theme: Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth, the summit aims to redefine cooperation between Africa and France through practical, action-driven partnerships focused on economic transformation and shared growth.

Amplifying the unexploited opportunities, Piron described Africa as uniquely positioned at the intersection of the world’s future energy and digital economies.

“The 21st century economy is increasingly driven by energetic and digital systems,” he said. “Africa sits at the intersection of all of them.”

He cited Africa’s enormous untapped resources, noting that the continent holds nearly 60 percent of the world’s best solar potential. The Sahara alone, he said, receives enough solar energy every six hours to theoretically power the entire world for a year.

He said Congo River Basin has the potential to generate more than 100 gigawatts of hydropower, while countries including Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, and Libya collectively hold more than 125 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.

“This is not abstract potential,” Piron told delegates. “This is bankable and exportable energy wealth.”

Yet despite these vast resources, many African economies remain constrained by fragile electricity systems, outdated transmission infrastructure, and chronic power shortages. Piron warned that energy resources alone are meaningless without reliable grids capable of delivering electricity where it is needed.

“You can have the finest energy resource, it will remain untapped if none of them reach the point of consumption,” he argued.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, unreliable electricity continues to disrupt manufacturing, telecommunications, healthcare, education and digital services. He lamented that businesses lose an estimated $65 billion annually in productivity due to power interruptions and unstable electricity supply.

For African economies seeking to industrialize and attract global investment, experts say reliable energy systems are now as important as roads, ports, and telecommunications networks.

“The power grid is the backbone of everything,” Piron said. “It transforms raw energy into economic activity.”

Piron commended the Kenyan Government for leading in renewable energy investment and added that long-term planning can reshape national economies. Kenya’s electricity is now generated from nearly 90 per cent renewable sources, largely driven by geothermal, hydroelectric, wind and solar energy.

“Kenya here is already showing the world what is possible. A national grid at 90 per cent of renewable energy, not an aspiration, but today’s reality.”

He noted that Kenya’s progress demonstrates how African countries can become regional energy hubs by combining infrastructure investment, supportive regulation and clean energy deployment.

Energy analysts say Kenya’s experience offers practical lessons for other African nations seeking to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by expanding electricity access.

“Kenya is proving that becoming a regional energy hub is built on a foundation of bold policies and infrastructure and it is the model this continent is ready to scale,” he noted.

He, however, said that Africa’s grid infrastructure reflects decades of underinvestment. Companies in sub-Saharan Africa lose an estimated $65 billion of productivity per year due to power outages.

Piron challenged Africa to seize the opportunity to bypass outdated infrastructure models and build a modern, digitally integrated electricity network from the ground up. He singled out advances in High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology, which h said can now transmit electricity over distances exceeding 3,000 kilometres with minimal energy losses.

“High voltage direct current, can now carry power over 3,000 kilometres with nearly nil losses, opening the possibility to connect the solar field of Sahara to the industrial west and eastern region of Africa.”

According to Piron, this could allow Africa to create interconnected continental power corridors linking renewable energy-rich regions with industrial and urban centres.

“HVDC opens the possibility to connect the solar fields of the Sahara to industrial regions across Africa,” he said.

Piron also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in electricity management.AI-powered grid systems can now forecast electricity demand, balance renewable energy flows, identify faults before outages occur, and optimise power distribution in real time.

“Digital grid management systems using artificial intelligence can optimize power flows in ways that were impossible even five years ago,” he said.

While Piron emphasized technology, energy experts attending the summit said infrastructure transformation will also require political coordination, regulatory reforms and long-term financing. A Tell Media / KNA report / By Ian Chepkuto