The webinar, titled “The Shifting Geography of Africa’s Electrification Deficit: Geospatial Insights from the Urban Edge” is happening from 9-10 AM ET, and you need to register in advance to attend. In addition to attending virtually, there will also be an option to watch in person at JHU’s Bloomberg Center (room TBD) in Washington, D.C.
Africa’s cities and towns are rapidly expanding, reshaping where the electrification deficit is concentrated. New geospatial analysis, using a 30-category spatial framework across sub-Saharan Africa, reveals that millions of households without reliable electricity are clustered not in remote, rural areas, but in peri-urban, secondary city, and grid-proximate areas.
Reaching these growing, unelectrified populations within urban and peri-urban networks calls for new strategies for electrification, investment, and policy. Rather than a binary of “grid vs. off-grid,” the research highlights a spectrum of pathways shaped by geography, settlement patterns, and proximity.
What to expect:
- Research spotlight: New geospatial evidence on where access gaps remain.
- Panel discussion: How policymakers, financiers, utilities, and developers can apply this analysis to real-world planning and investment.
- Audience dialogue: Open Q&A on feasibility, implications, and next steps