Infrastructure for sustainable energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa: Leveraging social factors and natural capital

This study investigates the impact of infrastructure development on energy poverty in 28 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries over the period 2010-2021. Utilizing the Africa Infrastructure Development Index (AIDI) as a comprehensive measure, the research examines both linear and nonlinear effects of infrastructure development on energy poverty reduction, while also exploring its influence on renewable energy production, underscoring its contribution to achieving sustainable development goals. The findings reveal that enhanced infrastructure significantly improves electricity access and alleviates energy poverty. The results further suggest that infrastructure development is only effective in alleviating energy poverty when a certain level of social development and environmental quality is achieved. Employing sensitivity analyses with alternative energy poverty indicators as well as physical infrastructure indicators confirms the stability of these results. This study underscores the importance of integrated infrastructure policies that consider social and environmental factors to effectively address energy poverty and support sustainable development goals in SSA.