He observed that advancement in mini-grid electrification would position Africa to overcome challenges of extending traditional grid systems and researchers must do more to advance the sector.

Mr Mahu gave the advice when he addressed the closing session of a two-week workshop on the “Sustainable Energy Education Developing Exchange Between Continents (SEEDexchange) Project, a tri-continental partnership that sought to advance renewable energy education and research.

The SEED exchange project was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and aimed at sharing country-specific knowledge to enhance renewable energy deployment, particularly in rural communities.

It focuses on three areas of sharing a module pool with remote laboratories accessible to students across partner universities, a living Lab in Antioquia, Colombia, to study socio-economic aspects of rural renewable energy applications and a virtual and face-to-face exchanges for students, lecturers, and researchers.

Held between September 8 and September 21, at the Regional Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (RCEES) Auditorium of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, the workshop brought together experts from Ghana, the University of Oldenburg, Germany, University of Antioquia, Colombia, and the Change World, a Colombian NGO as well as DAAD alumni from across Africa and beyond.

Mr Mahu lauded the SEEDexchange project community and asked them to make measurable contributions to put Africa on the edge to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals on energy.

The global goal seven enjoins countries around the world to achieve affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030.

Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, the Vice-Chancellor of the UENR indicated that the workshop aligned the university’s core mandate of promoting research and innovation in energy and natural resources.

He noted that: “The SEEDexchange project enhances UENR’s global visibility, builds staff and student capacity, and strengthens international collaborations”, and commended the DAAD for its financial support.

Prof Asare-Bediako said the establishment of the UENR’s Centre for Research Grants and Innovation remained a vehicle for expanding partnerships and securing grants.
He said: “By hosting the workshop, UENR reaffirms its commitment to driving renewable energy education and positioning Ghana as a hub for sustainable energy research in Africa”.

Miss Lena Leumer, the DAAD Regional Office Director, praised UENR for its growing reputation in renewable energy research and education.
She explained that DAAD supported higher education through scholarships and institutional partnerships and emphasised that renewable energy remained a priority for both Germany and Ghana.

Dr Benjamin Batinge, a Research Fellow at UENR’s RCEES said the SEED Project was designed to provide postgraduate students with hands-on, cross-country training in sustainable energy.
Its activities include international mobility exchanges, weekly online sessions, and a flagship hackathon where students co-develop solutions for real-world energy challenges.

Dr Batinge said current research under the project explored innovations like agro voltaic systems (growing crops under solar panels) to integrate energy production with agriculture.

The workshop also featured a DAAD Alumni Seminar on Open Energy Modelling, which trained participants in using PyPSA (Python for Power System Analysis), an open-source tool for simulating and optimising energy systems.

That training aimed at building the capacity of African and Latin American researchers to support evidence-based energy planning.