Future of Energy Conference 2025: Calls Grow for Bold Investments in Africa’s Power Sector

Africa’s energy transition hinges on unlocking capital at scale, speakers declared at the Future of Energy Conference 2025, organized by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) in Accra. With over 600 million people still without electricity across the continent, Africa risks being left behind in the global energy transition which holds the potential to create jobs, expand both grid and off-grid electricity solutions, and power sustainable economic growth for the continent.

The theme for this year’s conference, “Financing Africa’s Energy Future: Unlocking Investments for Energy Access and Economic Transformation,” focused on examining the continent’s financial needs and identifying strategies to mobilize investments that can transform Africa’s energy landscape, accelerate economic growth, and address deep-rooted energy poverty.

In his remarks, the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Hon. John Jinapor, stressed the pivotal role of the private sector in Africa’s energy transition, highlighting its ability to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and provide the capital required for sustained investment. He noted that Ghana, in recent years, has partnered with independent power producers (IPPs) and financiers to establish legislative power purchase agreements (PPAs) that keep tariffs competitive while safeguarding the government’s fiscal position.

The Minister also announced the establishment of a Renewable Energy and Green Transition Fund, designed to mobilize capital for low-carbon infrastructure and innovation. He further emphasized that energy policy across the continent must extend beyond infrastructure and technology to embrace broader goals of improving livelihoods, advancing social and economic progress, and safeguarding the environment.

On his part, Mr. Benjamin Boakye, Executive Director of ACEP, described the conference as a call to seriousness and a shift from the rhetoric that has long characterized discussions about financing energy investments in Africa. He urged participants to approach the dialogue with focus and conviction, emphasizing the need to leave not only with ideas but with concrete solutions to Africa’s energy challenges.

The two-day conference, held at the Labadi Beach Hotel from August 26–27, brought together government officials, financiers, development partners, and energy experts to chart strategies for accelerating investment flows into the continent’s power sector.

With countries across the continent seeking to balance their vast renewable energy potential with urgent development needs, the conference served as both a wake-up call and a rallying point as financing remains the decisive factor that will determine whether the continent can power its people and compete in a net-zero world.

By Francis Quasie