How sustainable is the ecological environment in resource-rich African countries in the face of profound resource depletion, energy poverty, and modernization?

This study provides evidence-based explanations for some critical questions that have eluded policymakers in resource-rich African countries. Notably, issues that border on environmental sustainability in these countries remained blurred and underexplored. In this context, we explored the perspectives of two notable environmental performance metrics - load capacity factor(LCF) and natural resource footprints(NRF), since such evidence is lacking in prior evaluations. Essentially, the study considered the influence of diverse categories of resource depletion, including minerals and energy resources. Likewise, the implications of energy poverty and modernization were rectified. The study relied on updated data (2008–2021) and panel estimators sensitive to time evolutions, nonlinearity, residual overlaps, and heterogeneous slopes. The discoveries highlighted that the panel series has a common long-run trend. Both the load capacity curve and environmental Kuznets curve propositions are valid in these countries. The empirical estimates established that resource depletions are negative(positive) LCF(NRF) predictors. Notably, their propensities to cause environmental decay increased at higher quantiles. Energy poverty contributed significantly to the observed environmental decay in these countries. Hence, concerted efforts to end energy poverty will set these countries on the path of ecological vitality. Furthermore, consistent inclinations to modernization would keep these countries on the path of a sustainable future, given their pivotal role in reducing environmental decay. Strategic sustainable resource exploration policies are essential to curtail the harmful effects of natural resource depletion on the environment. Likewise, instituting strong ecological governance could provide relief for environmental challenges.