The World Bank has said that only 24 per cent of the Sub-Saharan Africa population could access electricity in spite of the various intervention to address energy power crisis on the continent by various international agencies.

This clarification was made known by the bank's Senior Specialist on Energy, Wagar Haider, at a workshop on 'Policy Framework For Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy' in Abuja.

Haider said the number of those without electricity access was projected to rise from 590 million in 2008 to 700 million in 2030, following the growing population on the continent.

According to him, installed power generation capacity is extremely low at 39 Mega watts per million population , resulting in regular outages and load shedding in more than 30 countries.

He said the continent was endowed with resources that could provide more than two sources of energy if well harnessed, urging the continent to explore renewable energy.

Haider, who noted that the energy sector was the major engine of social, economic and industrial growth, said renewable energy was more economical compared to grid-based extension of electricity network.

The expert said if widely explored, renewable energy would address the nation's erratic power supply.

He said the bank, in partnership with the Federal Government, carried out the transmission development project in 2001.

Also executed were the national energy development projects in 2005, Niger Basin Water Resources and Development Project in 2007 and the Nigeria Electricity and Gas Improvement Project in 2009.

Haider also said the bank had collaborated with state governments on Fadama and commercial agricultural projects.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Federal Government has put in place various intervention strategies to address the power situation

These include plans to develop coal, wind farm and solar energy and the inauguration of the Prof. Barth Nnaji led power sub-committee of the Presidential Advisory Council to find solutions to the problem.