In 2026, Africa’s energy industry learned to brace for the unexpected. War in the Middle East and the ensuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz created chaos in global energy markets. Even if Africa’s upstream oil and gas producers enjoyed a brief windfall, the disruption created pain across the energy value chain. The cost of petroleum products soared for consumers and businesses alike, exposing how vulnerable Africa’s energy systems remain to external factors.

The Africa Sustainable Development Goal 7 Report (2025) finds that while Africa has made measurable progress toward universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, the continent remains off track to meet SDG7 targets by 2030. Electricity access rose from 51 percent in 2017 to 61 percent in 2023, yet over 560 million people—mainly in rural and peri-urban areas—still lack electricity, with stark regional disparities and population growth eroding gains.

This report explores the Eastern Africa region’s potential to leverage its significant oil and gas resources to achieve regional climate objectives, energy security, sustainable development and
economic growth through promoting intra-regional trade and ensuring a just energy transition. The focus countries for this region are the following: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. By developing reserves and promoting intra-regional trade via strategic investments in

Over the past decade, the ECOWAS region has recorded a steady rise in Total Final Energy Consumption (TFEC), growing at an average annual rate of 3.85%, in line with the region’s economic expansion. In 2022, TFEC reached 129,871 ktoe, representing 23.5% of Africa’s total, with Nigeria accounting for 56.2% of regional consumption. Biomass remains dominant, constituting 60% of the energy mix, followed by petroleum products (33.1%) and electricity (5.5%).