Whose finger on the switch? The case for energy sovereignty in Africa

With shocks becoming more frequent, from Covid to Ukraine to the current US-initiated energy crisis, resilience in Africa is no longer about managing isolated disruptions. It is about constant adjustment and reform. African states have introduced emergency conservation and consumer support measures to shield citizens from fossil fuel price volatility. Yet long queues continue to form at fuel stations. These interventions divert resources from essential programmes such as health and development. They may ease pressure in the short term, but they do not address the underlying problem. When energy supply remains inadequate and externally dependent, the continent is left in a state of subsidised vulnerability, exposed to global markets it cannot control. When power failures become health emergencies When a clinic’s generator fails, the cost is not only operational. It is human. Health resilience is often measured through access and responsiveness, but it depends on a reliable electricity supply. Across Africa, 50%–60% of health facilities lack reliable electricity. Cold chains for vaccines and oxygen supplies rely on expensive imported diesel. When fuel costs rise or supply chains tighten, facilities pass these costs on to patients. This becomes an additional burden at a moment of vulnerability. In Nigeria, erratic price volatility can raise facility operating costs by up to 40% and increase out-of-pocket medical expenses by up to 20%. In 2019, 95 million people in Africa faced catastrophic healthcare expenses. Energy insecurity turns treatable illness into financial crisis. Health resilience depends on energy sovereignty. Health systems cannot function reliably when they depend on volatile global fuel markets. Industrialisation needs reliable power Adaptive capacity requires more than endurance. It requires the ability to shift structurally. Informal work remains a central survival strategy for livelihoods across Africa, accounting for 83% of employment. Its productivi