Episode 41. The Institutions Behind the Switch: Who Keeps the Lights On in Africa?
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More than two-thirds of electricity utilities in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot cover their operating and debt service costs, yet electricity tariffs are already among the highest in the world relative to income. Why do the lights still go out?
This episode explores the institutions behind reliable electricity. Drawing on four new research papers, we examine how governance, incentives, and utility performance shape electricity reliability across Africa. From reducing outages in Senegal to improving construction quality in Kenya through smarter contracting and audits, the evidence shows that practical institutional reforms can deliver more reliable power and stronger utility performance.
Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.
Check episode one in the series Research Currents: Africa’s Energy – When the Lights Stay Off.
- Contracting structures in public procurement: Evidence from donor-funded electrification in Kenya
- Unreliable Electricity in Developing Countries: The Role of Weak Institutions
- The Value of Electricity Reliability: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Senegal
- What Underlies the Poor Financial Performance of Electric Utilities in Sub-Saharan Africa?
