Tunisia, most electrified country in Africa

Tunisia has become the most electrified country in Africa according to a recent report on "Powering Africa" published by African Business. Tunisia which is credited with an electrification rate of 99% comes ahead of Algeria, 98%, Egypt 98%, Libya 97%, Mauritius 94%, Morocco 85% and South Africa 70%.

The report which was released in January 2010 issue of the magazine, ranks Tunisia as the country with the highest electrification rate on the continent, including North Africa and Sub Saharan Africa.

The report said Africa’s relatively slow development is mostly due to its severe lack of sufficient power: “The correlation power sufficiency and economic development is unmistakable.”

Some African countries, according to the report, are approaching universal electrification, adding that in Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Egypt there has been a sustained government support for rural electrification as a form of social development over the past 10 or 15 years.

The report stresses that the driving force for electrification must come from within Africa itself to combat energy inequality and climate change - two problems confronting Africa at the moment. And that cross-border integration will also promote electrification.

The report finally illustrates the inequality in power consumption between developing and industrialized worlds, stating that one megawatt of power must supply 300 people in the United States, the same capacity must stretch to 30,000 East Africans.