Energy Transition Africa

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

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

Cargo ship with containers in foreground, solar panels and wind turbines under construction in background, symbolising Africa’s energy transition.

Governance & Transparency

Resource Nationalism and Renewable Finance: Africa’s Moment to Rise

From Abuja to Kinshasa, the tone of Africa’s energy debates is shifting. For decades, the continent’s mineral wealth was extracted and exported with little local value. Fossil fuels promised prosperity…

Vincent Egoro September 5, 2025Africa climate finance, Africa energy transition, Africa resource nationalism, critical minerals Africa, ESG Africa, just transition Africa, local value addition Africa, renewable energy Africa

African power lines at dusk with overlaid currency symbols, representing local-currency climate finance as a COP30 demand.

Energy Transition

Finance in Local Currency: A COP30 Demand for Africa’s Energy Transition

At first glance, Africa’s energy transition looks as though it is finally gaining speed. Solar imports are at record highs, wind farms are sprouting across the Sahel, and hydro projects…

Vincent Egoro August 29, 2025Africa climate finance, Africa energy transition, Climate justice Africa, COP30 Africa, finance in local currency, FX risk Africa, just energy transition Africa, 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

African city with diesel generator and flickering lightbulb in foreground, solar panels and sunrise in background — symbolising outdated zombie energy systems blocking renewable transition.

Energy Transition

Africa’s Zombie Energy Systems: The Hidden Barrier Stalling a Just Transition

The paradox of darkness in the age of sunlight On a humid evening in Lagos, a shopkeeper wheels out a diesel generator, its rattle and fumes filling the street as…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk August 20, 2025Africa energy transition, energy poverty Africa, financing energy Africa, outdated energy infrastructure Africa, regional power pools Africa, renewable energy Africa, solar potential Africa, zombie energy systems

African man in denim jacket stands before industrial smokestacks and dollar bills, symbolising Africa’s climate finance challenges.

Energy Transition Fossil Fuel Phaseout

Africa’s Climate Finance Crisis: The Debt Trap Undermining a Greener Future

In the heart of Africa, a paradox unfolds. A continent so rich in renewable resources, from sun to wind and lithium to cobalt, is simultaneously suffocating under the weight of…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk June 5, 2025Africa climate finance, African debt and climate change, Civil society climate action, Climate adaptation funding, Climate finance gap Africa, Climate justice Africa, Energy transition Africa, Fossil fuel phaseout Africa, Green energy funding Africa, Green industrialisation, Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), Loss and damage funding, renewable energy Africa, South Africa climate finance

Energy Transition

Green Goals, Grey Areas: The Politics of China-Africa Energy Relations

A few years ago, during a civil society exchange in Nairobi, a Kenyan energy advocate told me something that has stayed with me: “We’ve got panels. We’ve got Chinese engineers.…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk May 16, 2025Africa energy transition, AfricaTransition, BRI, ChinaAfricaRelations, CriticalMineralsAfrica, EnergyTransitionAfrica, FOCAC, GreenEnergyPolitics, renewable energy Africa, RenewableEnergyAfrica, ValueAddition

Silhouettes of an oil rig and pumpjack set against a dramatic red-orange sunset sky, symbolizing Africa’s rising fossil fuel activity amidst global climate discussions.

Fossil Fuel Phaseout

The Green Energy Lie? Why Africa’s Oil and Gas Licenses Just Hit a 10-Year High

Across Africa, oil and gas licensing is experiencing a sharp resurgence — even as the global chorus for climate action grows louder. According to Energy Capital & Power, more than…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk May 14, 2025African energy security, clean energy financing, climate justice, energy transition, Fossil fuel phaseout Africa, fossil fuels Africa, oil and gas exploration, renewable energy Africa

Four marine engineers in orange safety suits and helmets guide a thick, insulated power cable from the deck of a vessel into the sea during an offshore cable-laying operation.

Energy Transition

Powering Europe, Darkening Africa? The New Scramble for African Renewables

In 2025, as Europe scrambles to meet its climate goals and reduce dependence on Russian energy, a new frontier has emerged in the global race for clean power: Africa. Last…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk May 12, 2025Africa energy transition, Africa-Europe energy trade, electricity access, energy colonialism, energy justice, EnergyAccess, green colonialism, just transition, renewable energy Africa

Solar installer’s hand adjusting panel, bringing clean energy to an off-grid village in Africa

Community Impact Energy Transition

Solar Mini-Grids and Their Impact on Rural Communities in Africa

In a small farming village in northern Kenya, a quiet revolution is underway. A community that once relied on smoky kerosene lamps and long treks to distant markets now hums…

Vincent Egoro March 28, 2025Africa energy transition, clean energy, community empowerment, energy access Africa, renewable energy Africa, rural electrification, solar mini-grids, sustainable development