ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Officials of the African Union (AU) Commission have called for urgent action to overcome the severe energy poverty facing most people in sub-Saharan Africa.

The call was made at the African Energy Efficiency Ministerial Conference, which commenced on Wednesday at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, with an aim to cut energy waste and stabilize power systems across the continent.

AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf underscored the deep energy paradox for resource-rich Africa, where 600 million people lack electricity and 900 million still rely on biomass.

Energy efficiency is Africa's first line of defense against energy poverty, capable of boosting productivity and cutting energy costs, Youssouf said, calling for urgent action to overcome the triple dilemma of energy security, affordability, and regional connectivity.

With the new African Energy Efficiency Strategy and growing regional power pools, the chairperson underscored a unified political will to build a reliable, interconnected, and future-ready energy system for all Africans.

AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Lerato Dorothy Mataboge said the conference aims to mobilize both technical and financial support, fortifying partnerships for the implementation of energy efficiency programs across Africa.

"Energy efficiency is Africa's fastest road to universal access. It is our surest path to competitiveness, and it is our strongest claim to energy sovereignty," she said.

In February, at the 38th Assembly of the African Union, African heads of state and government officially adopted the African Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan. The framework sets a target of raising Africa's energy productivity by 50 percent by 2050 and 70 percent by 2063. ■