Energy Transition Africa

Man observing solar panels with discarded batteries in Nigeria at sunset

Solar Boom, Toxic Loom: Nigeria’s Green Energy Leap Risks Turning Toxic

Late one evening in Kano, amidst the glow of flickering kerosene lamps, Aisha, a mother of three, clutches her youngest as she steps outside. On the wall of her modest…

African miner overlooks a Southern African open-pit mine at sunset.

Critical Minerals

Southern Africa: The Critical Minerals Anchor of the Global Energy Transition

When the World Economic Forum released its recent analysis on the role of Southern Africa in the global energy transition, one figure stood out: countries like Zambia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe…

Vincent Egoro August 11, 2025Africa industrialisation, community benefits, critical minerals, green hydrogen, just energy transition, mining policy, Namibia lithium, platinum, renewable energy transition, resource governance, SADC cooperation, Southern Africa, sustainable development, value addition, Zambia cobalt, Zimbabwe lithium

African woman leading a village energy meeting with solar panels, wind turbine, and clean cookstove nearby.

Community Impact

Who Speaks for the Community? The Missing Link in Africa’s Energy Transition

When Grace, a 47-year-old mother of four in Uganda’s Kasese district, spoke at a local town hall meeting, her voice trembled. But what she said cut through: "We see cables…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk August 8, 2025African climate summit, clean cooking Africa, community-led energy transition Africa, energy access Africa, energy justice Africa, grassroots energy initiatives, just energy transition, local energy solutions Africa, renewable energy policy Africa, women in renewable energy Africa

An African coastal community with gas infrastructure and local fishers in view

Fossil Fuel Phaseout

Double Standards? Why Africa’s Gas Phase-Out Is Under Fire

How do you phase out gas in Africa when a mother in rural Nigeria still boils drinking water over a kerosene flame, or a health centre in Senegal powers its…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk August 6, 2025African CSOs, climate justice, energy equity, fossil finance, gas phase-out in Africa, just transition, LNG Africa, renewable transition, World Bank energy

Artisanal miner at a cobalt pit in Kolwezi, DRC, with overlay of global energy symbols like EVs and batteries—illustrating Africa’s vital role in powering the clean energy transition.

Critical Minerals

Green Gold Rush or Resource Grab? Inside Africa’s Critical Minerals Boom

Under the midday sun in Kolwezi, in the southeastern stretch of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lucien, a 26-year-old father of three, kneels in a shallow mine pit, scraping cobalt-rich…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk August 4, 2025Africa EV minerals, Africa mining policy, artisanal miners Africa, clean energy minerals, cobalt mining DRC, critical minerals Africa, Energy transition Africa, green energy supply chain, just transition minerals, lithium Zimbabwe, mineral beneficiation Africa, mining value chains, resource nationalism Africa, sustainable mining

African climate leader at summit podium, with oil rigs and protests on one side and clean energy projects on the other, representing the tension in Africa’s fossil phase-out.

Fossil Fuel Phaseout

Fossil Fuel Phase-Out in Africa: Treaty, Trap or Turning Point?

In the corridors of global climate diplomacy, a new treaty is taking shape. The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, backed by climate leaders like Kumi Naidoo and supported by a growing…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk August 1, 2025Africa, climate justice, DRC, energy transition, fossil fuel phase-out, fossil fuel treaty, Ghana, global south, ICJ, Kumi Naidoo, Uganda

African miner beside a cobalt pit with an industrial plant on the horizon, representing Africa’s move from raw exports to mineral beneficiation.

Critical Minerals

Beyond Raw Minerals: Can Africa Benefit from Its Critical Mineral Wealth?

In Kolwezi, in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the earth gives way to cobalt-rich soil. Every morning, hundreds of artisanal miners, many without helmets or boots,…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 30, 2025Africa, artisanal mining, cobalt, critical minerals, DRC, Ghana, green transition, lithium, resource nationalism, Sierra Leone, value addition

Fossil Fuel Phaseout

Fossil Exit or Justice Denied? Africa’s Fight to Lead Its Own Energy Future

In Abuja, oil still smells like prosperity. Along the congested streets of Warri or Takoradi, diesel generators hum a familiar tune of survival. For decades, the promise of oil has…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 28, 2025Africa, climate finance, climate justice, energy sovereignty, fossil fuel exit, Ghana, Nigeria, oil and gas, OPEC, World Bank

African civil society representative at a negotiation table with climate adaptation maps and debt documents, symbolising Africa’s struggle between fiscal obligations and climate action.

Energy Transition

Debt-for-Climate Swaps: Lifeline or Leash for Africa’s Green Future?

Everybody frames swaps as innovation. But who controls the script, and who ends up on the cutting room floor? Debt-for-climate swaps are enjoying a moment. Policymakers and international institutions are…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 25, 2025Africa, Civil Society, climate finance, climate justice, debt swaps, donor influence, global south, green transition, multilateral banks, sovereign debt

African speaker at podium with climate finance map of Africa behind him and donor logos including World Bank, EU, and USAID.

Governance & Transparency

Who’s Funding Africa’s Transition? The Hidden Gatekeepers of Green Finance

Billions are pledged. But who decides who gets them, and on whose terms? Across Africa, the energy transition has become more than a technical debate. It’s a question of power,…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 23, 2025Africa, climate funds, climate justice, development finance, energy transition, funding pipelines, green finance, JETP, just transition, multilateral banks