In the pursuit of increasing energy access in Africa’s most remote regions, where millions lack reliable electricity, discussions often revolve around the effectiveness of different approaches. That was the topic of a recent NextBillion article titled “Private Business Alone Can’t Bring Energy to the Last Mile: Why Philanthropy Should Shift Its Focus to Scalable Non-Profit Models,” in which Aneri Pradhan at New Energy Nexus argues that funding non-profit models with a proven ability to scale is a more effective way for philanthropy to address this challenge than subsidising untested private sector approaches.
It’s commendable to explore diverse approaches to energy access, and non-profits and NGOs — along with their philanthropic funders — have made some encouraging progress in boosting electrification across the continent. But they’re not the best solution for reaching excluded African communities: The private sector’s role is not just important — it’s critical for establishing lasting, scalable impact.
Read the article here
