Energy executive Juwon Lawal says Africa can unlock sustainable growth by using reliable power to process its abundant natural resources locally, create jobs and build industries instead of relying on raw commodity exports.
African countries must shift their economic focus from the export of raw materials to building an energy-led industrial framework to address persistent power deficits and achieve sustainable economic development, energy executive and business strategist, Juwon Lawal, has said. Lawal said energy availability should no longer be treated as an isolated utility concern but as the foundation of macroeconomic planning across the continent.
Speaking during an industry briefing, he noted that despite Africa’s abundant reserves of crude oil, natural gas, critical minerals and arable land, many economies on the continent remained trapped in low-productivity cycles because of the disconnect between resource ownership and domestic utilisation.
“The question is no longer whether Africa has resources,” Lawal said. “The real question is whether those resources can be transformed into sustainable economic value.”
He said the continent’s industrial sectors, including manufacturing, mining, transportation, agriculture, logistics and digital infrastructure, could not achieve sustained growth without reliable and affordable energy.
“No economy has achieved sustained industrial growth without reliable and affordable energy,” he said.
Lawal also cautioned African governments against adopting energy transition models designed for other regions without considering the continent’s peculiar economic and developmental circumstances.
According to him, while Africa must pursue environmental sustainability, the immediate priority for many countries remains expanding electricity access to millions of households and small businesses.
He called for the development of an African-specific energy transition framework that balances climate objectives with economic growth and industrialisation.
“The transition requires a balanced approach that supports environmental progress while maintaining economic growth,” he said.
Lawal advocated the responsible deployment of natural gas as a transition fuel for heavy industrial manufacturing and cleaner transportation, arguing that strategic investments in compressed natural gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure could improve energy access in underserved commercial and industrial centres.
He further stressed the need for an aggressive upgrade of Africa’s midstream and downstream infrastructure, including ports, pipelines and storage facilities.
Such investments, he said, would be critical to unlocking the trade opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Lawal noted that policy agreements alone would not be sufficient to drive intra-African trade without corresponding investments in physical infrastructure, digital systems and institutional capacity.
“Regional trade requires more than policy agreements. It requires practical investment in physical infrastructure, digital systems, and institutional capacity,” he said.
He, however, identified access to long-term capital as one of the major constraints to financing large-scale infrastructure projects across the continent, citing high borrowing costs and perceived project risks.
While urging international investors to recognise Africa’s opportunities, Lawal said African businesses must also strengthen their internal standards to attract institutional and long-term financing.
“While foreign investors frequently cite high project risks, African enterprises must simultaneously elevate their internal standards to attract institutional lenders,” he said.
He called on African corporations to prioritise operational discipline, financial transparency and good governance as part of efforts to de-risk infrastructure investments and secure cheaper, longer-term capital.
“Good governance should not be viewed simply as a regulatory obligation,” Lawal said, adding that “it is a commercial advantage that builds confidence among lenders, investors, and business partners.”
According to him, reliable power must ultimately translate into increased local processing of Africa’s natural resources rather than continued dependence on the export of raw commodities and the importation of finished products.
He said processing commodities locally remained essential to building economic resilience, creating employment and enabling African countries to capture a greater share of global value chains.
Lawal explained that reliable electricity could trigger wider economic benefits by supporting factories, creating skilled employment, increasing household incomes and strengthening domestic consumer markets, thereby attracting further investment.
He said Africa’s long-term competitiveness would not be determined merely by the volume of minerals and other resources beneath its soil, but by the continent’s ability to develop the industries, infrastructure and human capital required to process those resources locally.
“The continent has the opportunity to shape its own industrial future,” Lawal said.
He added that achieving the objective would require practical policies, disciplined investment, stronger regional cooperation and a deliberate commitment to creating value within Africa rather than exporting economic opportunities to other parts of the world.
