Africa must lead its own energy future

During a recent discussion on X Spaces, a feature that allows users to host live audio conversations with others on the platform formerly known as Twitter, organised by the young environmental enthusiasts under the Green Foster Action umbrella, a vocal and self-appointed climate activist labelled people who work in the Oil and Gas Sector as “climate justice criminals”.

The activist’s rebuke followed a submission on the urgent need for the youth in Uganda and across Africa to take the lead in advocating for an end to energy-poverty by promoting the country’s extractives sector. This is one of the most viable paths to securing the necessary resources for a sustainable energy transition.

To the activists and like-minded people, any development that would help Africa wean itself off dependence on the Global North is anathema. These activists are well-funded and coordinated, their narrative tracing back to a common centre bent on ensuring that Africa does not exploit its resources for its benefit. Since Uganda made commercial oil discoveries in 2006, the number of groups opposed to the country’s resource development has grown significantly. Among them, some civil society organisations (CSOs) have been at the forefront of efforts to demonise our petroleum projects with the apparent intent of preventing much-needed petro-dollars from flowing into our economy.

The operations of these CSOs are not unique; their funders have mastered the art of deception and misinformation, often using desperate, gullible youths and journalists to advance their agenda. Recently, Nigerian investigative journalist David Hundeyin revealed how he was offered USD 500 by an international NGO, Dialogue Earth (formerly China Dialogue Trust), to write a smear article against the Dangote Refinery. This refinery, the only one in an oil-producing African country owned by an African, was targeted under the pretext that it would hinder Nigeria’s ability to meet its Net Zero and Paris Agreement obligations. Predictably, this disclosure was ignored by Western media, which is more interested in perpetuating the narrative of a failed Africa that must remain dependent on external powers.

Back home, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has become a primary target. Some CSOs and their allies have led a relentless campaign to stop the project, which would allow Uganda to commercialise its oil resources. Their tactics include filing multiple lawsuits in Ugandan, East African, and French courts—most of which have been dismissed for lack of merit—publishing unsubstantiated research rooted in misinformation and supporting street and online protests against EACOP.

Their allies in the West have gone so far as to storm multinational financial institutions and insurance companies, pressuring them to withdraw funding for EACOP. Their latest target is the Chinese government, with protests being organised at Chinese embassies after it became clear that the project had secured funding from supportive Chinese financiers.

It’s important to recognise that even if Uganda had opted solely for a refinery, these groups would still fight to ensure it never materialises. These CSOs and their partners have issued several baseless reports to discredit the Refinery Project, sharing them with funders whose goal is to keep Africa dependent.

Africa should not be made to carry the burden of the Global North’s historical and ongoing exploitation of our continent. If drilling and exploiting our rich mineral resources is the only way to rid ourselves of energy poverty, then so be it. The youth have a critical role to play in this discourse. They must stand up and fight for Africa’s future, refusing to sell out for a few crumbs. Our future generations will judge us harshly if we fail.

Vast energy resources power the world; we cannot afford to leave ours untapped. Many Ugandans working in the sector would rather be called “climate justice criminals” than live as neo-colonial agents, content to please a few individuals who wish to see Africans remain enslaved and dependent. The time for Africa to lead its energy future is now. 

Yusuf Masaba is a Corporate Affairs Officer at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda. [email protected]