29th Parliamentary-Intelligence Security Forum – Energy Security & Critical Minerals
Mr. Francis Beard, Distinguished Fellow at the Energy Policy Research Foundation, emphasized the critical role of energy as the foundation for development, prosperity, and peace—particularly in Africa. Drawing on his perspective as an African-born South African and now U.S. citizen, Beard highlighted that everything in modern life from steel to food depends on mining, farming, and energy. Yet much of Africa remains energy-poor: approximately 600 million Africans lack reliable access to electricity, with countries like South Sudan, Chad, Burundi, Malawi, and the Central African Republic having the lowest access rates. He noted that the average African excluding South Africa has just enough electricity to power a fridge for six and a half hours per day. He argued that this energy poverty directly contributes to state fragility, underdevelopment, hunger, poor health, and economic stagnation. He criticized decades of investment in renewable energy for Africa around $100 billion over 20 years as insufficient and often counterproductive, resulting in high costs and debt without expanding reliable electricity access. He underscored that modern economies cannot run on intermittent renewable energy alone, as factories, mines, and agriculture require stable base-load power.
Mr. Beard stressed that Africa should be allowed to develop its own energy resources whether gas, coal, or other local sources through private-sector investment rather than government-to-government programs, which he argued have largely failed. He highlighted that restrictions imposed on Africa contrast with the freedom enjoyed by countries like China and India, which continue to invest in energy-intensive growth.
Ultimately, Mr. Beard concluded that energy access is fundamental to peace, economic growth, and human development. Enabling African nations to power themselves could reduce poverty, create jobs, foster industrialization, and limit migration, turning the 14-kilometer Strait of Gibraltar into a route for tourism rather than desperation. He called for a pragmatic approach that prioritizes local energy development to ensure Africa’s prosperity and stability.
