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Achieving sustainability in the energy sector is vital for Africa to drive inclusive growth and secure its rightful place in the global economy.
Also, mobilising competitive and sustainable financing mechanisms to support the continent’s energy transition is critical for sustaining the steady gains the continent was making.
The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abu Jinapor, made the call during the opening session of the 2025 Future of Energy Conference (FEC), held in Accra yesterday (Aug 26).
The flagship event, organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), seeks to promote bold dialogue, collaboration and innovation to shape Africa’s energy future.
The two-day event will see participants engage through plenary sessions, expert panels, side events, and exhibitions designed to foster dialogue, share practical lessons and advance actionable solutions.
FEC 2025 has convened leaders from government institutions, industry, civil society, academia, and development partners in Accra to address Africa's most pressing energy challenges and opportunities.
The conference, on the theme: "Financing Africa's Energy Future: Unlocking Investments for Energy Access and Economic Transformation", will focus on mobilising the capital and partnerships needed to deliver universal access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy while driving inclusive economic growth.
Mr Jinapor listed some of the financing mechanisms to include bond markets, carbon trading and green funds, describing them as the most effective plan.
Highlighting key initiatives underway in Ghana, the minister pointed to the establishment of a Renewable Energy and Green Transition Fund.
The fund, he said, aimed to attract capital for low-carbon infrastructure and support local innovation, underscoring the country’s belief that energy must serve as the engine of industrialisation, job creation and economic competitiveness.
"The truth is simple: no economy can grow without energy. Reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy remains the lifeblood of industrialisation, digital transformation, and social development."
"For Africa, where more than 600 million of our brothers and sisters still lack electricity and over a billion rely on traditional biomass for cooking, the urgency cannot be overstated. Energy poverty does not only constrain growth but perpetuates inequality," he said.
The minister further attributed collaboration among governments, the private sector and development institutions as essential for transforming the energy sector.
"Governments must provide clear policy direction and regulatory stability. The private sector must bring innovation, efficiency, and investment. Our multilateral partners must help de-risk projects and expand concessional and blended finance mechanisms," he said.
"Colleagues, Africa’s path to a green transition must also be a just transition. Unlike developed nations, our continent is still striving to meet the basic needs of its citizens. Our transition must, therefore, be carefully calibrated—ensuring that clean energy pathways do not undermine energy affordability, industrial growth or jobs," he stressed.
Mr Jinapor added that the future of Africa’s energy was the future of Africa itself, and that by making our energy systems sustainable, “we make our economies resilient”.
Delivering the keynote address, the Special Advisor to the President on the National Economic Council and Climate Change, Nigeria, Rukaiya El-Rufai, emphasised that Africa was at a pivotal moment, moving away from extractive models that hinder sustainable development and limit the continent’s role in the global energy transition.
She stressed that this transition must prioritise Africa’s needs and interests.
Ms El-Rufai commended ACEP's innovative, data-driven, and inclusive approach, highlighting the importance of leveraging Africa's natural resources to achieve universal, clean, affordable, and secure energy access — key to economic growth and poverty reduction.
She also lauded the centre’s focus on transparency, accountability, and governance and for hosting a vital conference focused on Africa’s energy future.
"Indeed, whatever solutions and thought leadership emerge from this conference must optimally leverage Africa's resource wealth to deliver universal, clean, affordable, resilient, and secure energy for all so our economies can be powered while we also alleviate poverty sustainably,” Ms El-Rufai said.
