Energy Transition Africa

Gas flare near urban settlement with electricity pylons in the distance.

Locked In: The Debt, Subsidy and Oil Economy Holding Africa Back from a Just Energy Transition

Africa stands at a critical crossroads in its energy story. On one path lies renewal, powered by clean technologies, decentralised systems, local value chains and climate resilience. On the other…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk November 3, 2025Africa debt crisis, climate finance, energy transition, fossil fuel subsidies, just transition

An African woman lights a bulb powered by a small solar panel at dusk outside her home.

Uncategorized

Who Really Pays for Power? The Hidden Economics of Africa’s Electricity Access

It’s hard to forget the sound of generators at night.That deep, uneven hum that fills the silence after the national grid collapses again. Growing up in Nigeria, it was the…

Vincent Egoro October 24, 2025Africa development, climate finance, electricity access, energy transition, gender inclusion, IEA report, local currency finance

Two African technicians exmine solar panels at sunset in a rural field.

Uncategorized

Financing Africa’s Power Gap: Why Access to Capital Still Determines Access to Electricity

For all the talk of solar revolutions and just transitions, one truth still defines Africa’s energy story: the continent’s access to power depends on its access to affordable capital. The…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk October 22, 2025Africa power investment, climate finance, electricity access, energy transition, gender inclusion, IEA report, local currency finance

An African miner’s hands holding pieces of mineral ore, with blurred currency notes in the background under soft daylight.

Critical Minerals

Who’s Financing Africa’s Mineral Transition and On Whose Terms?

As the world races to decarbonise, Africa has emerged as the new frontier for the minerals that make the green economy possible. From cobalt and copper to lithium and graphite,…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk October 20, 2025AfDB, Africa minerals, climate finance, energy transition, extractive governance, just transition, local currency finance, UNEP

Solar panels and transmission towers in Africa at sunset, symbolising the role of foreign finance in powering the continent’s clean energy future.

Governance & Transparency

The Price of Power: Why Africa’s Clean Energy Future Still Depends on External Money

“Africa’s energy transition cannot be financed in a foreign language.” That line has lingered in my mind ever since I read the European Commission’s latest press release announcing €545 million…

Vincent Egoro October 6, 2025Africa clean energy finance, climate finance, energy transition, EU-Africa partnership, just transition, local currency, renewable energy Africa

Fossil Fuel Phaseout

Africa Won’t Phase Out on Promises: Fossil Fuel Exit Demands Finance, FX and Grids

As the world looks ahead to next month’s Africa Climate Summit, negotiators are already circling one contentious phrase: “transitioning away from fossil fuels.” For African delegates, the lesson from past…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk August 27, 2025Africa energy transition, AGN position, climate finance, climate finance Africa, Fossil fuel phaseout Africa, FX risk renewables, grid investment Africa, renewable energy Africa

Stacked solar panels in wooden crates on Tangier dockside, crane lifting pallet toward city rooftops at golden hour, symbolising Africa Chinese solar panel imports and dependency.

Energy Transition

Africa’s Solar Surge: Boom or Dependency?

On a hazy morning in Algiers, a flat-bed truck crawls through traffic stacked high with shrink-wrapped photovoltaic panels. It is an increasingly common sight from North Africa’s coast to the…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk August 25, 2025Africa solar imports, Chinese solar panels Africa, climate finance, critical minerals, energy transition, local manufacturing solar Africa, renewable energy transition Africa, rooftop solar Africa, solar dependency Africa

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 coal town residents contrast with foreign consultants managing climate funds

Community Impact Energy Transition

Who Truly Benefits from Just Transitions in Africa? The Rising Tide of Elite Extraction

In recent years, Africa has been hailed as a leader in designing just transitions, energy shifts that protect both the planet and people. Among the most ambitious is the Just…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 16, 2025Africa, climate finance, coal transition, community inclusion, critical minerals, energy justice, JETP, just transition