Poverty elimination cannot be ensured in Africa without ensuring energy

Union Minister of State for New & Renewable Energy, Power, Coal and Mines Shri Piyush Goyal launched 3rd International Solar Alliance programme on ‘Scalling Up Minigrids and Microgrids’ at the annual meeting of African Development Bank in Gandhinagar, Gujarat today. He urged all African nations to participate in the international Solar Alliance more actively to get benefit out of the partnership of solar energy rich countries. Shri Goyal made these remarks while participating in a panel discussion on ‘Africa-India Cooperation on Powering Africa – Strengthening ISA and Africa-India RE Partnership’.

Expressing his views on eradicating poverty from Africa, Shri Goyal said Africa has to ensure the use of renewable energy. Poverty cannot be eliminated without ensuring energy security. As the African continent is rich in Solar energy, African nations must use this natural resource for poverty alleviation.

Union Minister emphasized that electricity is no more luxury but necessity. “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision is to connect every single home with electricity by 2022, the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. But my ministry and all the state governments are working hard to achieve this goal by 2019 as we believe that a day without electricity is a day wasted from the life of the poor people, he added.

Shri Piyush Goyal said India is inviting all African nations to use our experiences and modern technology. He said, India would love to share its experience and industrial expertise with Africa and this is not out of the sympathy but out of the empathy, historical and cultural heritage that India-Africa shared and the desire to work as one family.

Shri Bhanu Pratap Yadav, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and renewable Energy, Shri A K Tripathi, Director General, National Institute Solar Energy, O S Sastry, Head, R&D, Interim Secretariat of International Solar Alliance and other dignitaries were also present at the occasions.