The Africa Energy Technology Conference (AETC 2025) concluded in Accra, marking a significant milestone in Africa’s sustainable energy transformation.
Held under the theme ‘Innovate, invest, implement: Revolutionised financing for sustainable energy sector growth in Africa’, the event convened high-level dignitaries, international partners, policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs.
Organised by the Africa Energy Technology Centre (AETC), founded by Emelia Akumah, the conference focused on accelerating home-grown innovation, policy integration, and capital mobilisation across the energy value chain.
The AETC aims to establish Africa’s first smart energy technology hub, fostering collaboration among technologists, financiers, and policymakers to develop scalable solutions for the continent’s energy challenges.
Discussions centered on critical areas for progress. The African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) and government representatives emphasised advancing intra-African energy trade and infrastructure as pillars for long-term energy security and economic growth.
Stakeholders extensively explored revolutionising financing frameworks, stressing the need to de-risk investments, enhance bankability, and foster public-private partnerships to close the access gap for over 600 million Africans without electricity.
Ghana’s Minister for Energy, John Jinapor, announced forthcoming policy measures during his keynote, including deploying solar-powered streetlights as part of Ghana’s energy diversification. “Collaboration and innovation are fundamental drivers for building a resilient energy sector,” Jinapor stated.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, advocated for deeper regional cooperation to unlock Africa’s vast gas potential, citing Nigeria’s reserves exceeding 200 trillion cubic feet. He highlighted infrastructure projects like the West African and Trans-Saharan gas pipelines as vital for integration.
“We must prioritise utilising our gas for domestic industrialisation and job creation, not solely for export,” Ekpo asserted. APPO Secretary-General Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim underscored that Africa must strategically leverage oil and gas resources to alleviate poverty while investing in cleaner alternatives.
Remote keynotes from Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, and Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, reinforced the global significance of Africa’s energy transition for climate resilience and economic growth.
In her closing remarks, AETC President Emelia Akumah issued a decisive call: “The future of energy is African—not just because of our resources, but because of our resolve.
Through technology, collaboration and bold financing, we will transform Africa’s energy landscape from one of scarcity to one of shared prosperity.”
The AETC now aims to translate conference outcomes into tangible projects, particularly advancing the continent’s first smart energy technology hub, signalling that Africa’s energy transformation is actively underway and African-led.
