Lighting up Africa: the UK's plan to expand access to energy

New UK international development minister Nick Hurd wants to boost off-grid solar power in the only region where those without access to modern energy is set to rise

For a man who has only recently started his job, international development minister Nick Hurd seems sure of his priorities.

"Energy Africa makes perfect sense to me," he says. "In the next few weeks and months we're going to be shaping what DfID [the Department for International Development] does in the next five, arguably 10 years. But improving access to energy in Africa is my particular focus at the moment."