Africa Energy Technology Conference 2027

“The pace of our energy economic development is too slow; we must shift to high-speed mode immediately. The time is up for us to put African-owned companies in the commanding heights of our energy economy. Africa is not a risk; it is an investment opportunity.”

“Africa must no longer remain merely a source of raw material for global industrialisation whilst others capture the manufacturing, technology, and economic value chain. No country in this world has industrialised without cheap base load power. The model of borrowing back our own capital at high interest rates is simply not fit for purpose.”

“The future is not something we wait for. It is something we build, deliberately, courageously, and sustainably. Africa is ready to lead its own energy conversation. We are ready to build systems that reflect our realities, our values, our ambitions, and our identity. Energy without technology is underutilized potential, while technology without energy is stalled ambition. Together, they form the bedrock of a modern African economy. The tools are in our hands. The talent is in this room. The future is right now. Let’s go to work.”

“For Africa, this transition must become a transformation, not a recipient of change, but a driver of it. Too many economies remain exposed to old patterns of extraction, where value leaves the continent and vulnerability becomes destiny. Without justice in the energy transition, the countries with the greatest potential will once again be left carrying the greatest burden. The answer to fragmentation is not isolation; it is purposeful cooperation.”

“Our continent cannot build a market on fragmented energy infrastructure and disconnected national energy systems. If power cannot move efficiently across borders, industry will not be able to move. Regional trade requires regional infrastructure that is planned regionally.”

“For too long, Africa’s energy landscape has been shaped by borders. Africa does not lack vision; what Africa needs today is execution, coordination, and bankable projects. For APPO, the path forward is clear: We must think Africa, plan Africa, finance Africa, and deliver for Africa.”

“The challenge before us is not the absence of resources. Because Africa is richly endowed with energy potential, from hydropower and solar to natural gas and emerging nuclear capabilities. The challenge has always been how to connect these resources to people, to markets, and to opportunity in a way that is efficient, fair, and sustainable.”

“If you do not have electricity, you cannot realise your country. You cannot have a commitment with the future. You cannot bring up the younger generations. You cannot dream even if you do not have electricity. We have a proverb: Please, don’t walk in front of me or of us. I may not follow you. Don’t walk behind me. I may not lead you. Walk beside me. Be my friend. Let’s jump together.”

“Development cannot be powered by theory alone; it must be powered by real grids, real investments, and real jobs. Energy is not a luxury to be added after development: it is the foundation on which development stands. A hospital cannot run on aspiration.”

“We are the custodians of the two most critical inputs for energy transition: land and trust. No solar farm can be built, no transmission line can be laid without our lands. No amount of connected infrastructure can unite us if our mindsets are not changed.”

“Our countries taken individually are very, very weak. But working together, implementing design first and implementing projects together will make our countries stronger. If a country puts the development priority of its population at the front and takes the lead, the private sector will follow.”

“Local content is important, but let’s make it an African local content. Let’s not have barriers where Ghanaian local content is different from Nigerian local content. If a government projects money for renewables, you find out that billions leave Africa to buy panels elsewhere because we aren’t building capacity and manufacturing locally.”

“The goal is not simply to structure a deal and get it done; the goal is to build a capital structure that makes the project viable into the future. Every investor brings a different appetite for risk and return, and our job is to allocate that risk efficiently, so that the project is not only financed but sustainable.”

“As the world transitions, our task is not simply to follow global trends, but to shape our own path, one that balances energy security, economic growth, and sustainability. For Ghana, this means unlocking the full value of our natural resources while investing in local capability, innovation, and technology.”

“We should look at clean cooking not only from the perspective of addressing a poverty issue, but also to look at this as an energy service that needs to be sustainable, accessible, affordable, and also meaningful for the entrepreneurs that need to participate.”

“It’s about signalling. It’s not about the quantity. If you can signal to the international markets or to the foreign capital donors or other big lenders that there are local or regional appetite and local uptake of a project, then you get that interest from these external people.”

“We can think of all the technological progress that we want, but if we don’t consider the human being, we will not get to the point. Beyond technology, we need human character, because without it, technology will not work.”

“No country anywhere in the world has ever developed without industrialisation, and at the centre of industrialisation is energy. You can actually increase the cost of conflict by having cross-border infrastructure developed.”

“Because innovation without investment is merely imagination. Because investment without implementation is stagnation. And because implementation without inclusion leaves too many behind. The solutions reside within us. We know Africa possesses the abundant sunshine, the powerful winds, the vast water resources, the critical gas, and above all, the ingenious people, to power a new era of sustainable, inclusive energy growth. Our objective at AETC is clear: We aim to build the first smart energy technology hub for Africa. The future of energy is African. It is African not only because of our immense natural resources, but because of our unparalleled human potential.”

“The time has come for a bold, Afrocentric energy strategy, based on local ownership, innovation, and local benefit, with emphasis on local content, local participants. Africa's greatest resource, not just what is buried beneath or underground, but what walks amongst us. It is the youth, and I mean the youth of Africa, bold, brilliant, and boundless in potential. It is also our women, strong, strategic, and severely underutilized in the energy sector. The global energy chessboard is shifting, and Africa is being played.”

“Africa is not energy poor, but energy rich. And yet, far too many of our fellow Africans remain in the dark. Power systems remain fragmented. Energy costs remain high. This is not due to a lack of resources, but lack of integration and coordination. Sustainable energy must be gained in our homes, especially in our kitchens. Africa's minerals must benefit Africans first. When we speak in our Africa energy trade, we are not just discussing megawatts and infrastructure. We are speaking of sovereignty, integrity, and dignity. We are envisaging an Africa that powers itself, trades with itself, and rises on the strength of its unity, its natural world, and above all, its people.”

“Natural gas is not just a commodity, it is a catalyst. To unleash the true potential of Africa's gas, we must foster intra-African gas trade, trading among ourselves, building markets with our regions, and connecting infrastructure across borders. Africa must move with urgency to build a continental gas ecosystem. Africa's future energy security cannot depend solely on the export of raw resources. When we share energy, we share prosperity. Let us build a future where African gas powers African goods.”

“Now that it is Africa's turn to get industrialized, we have been told that the energy that today's industrialized and developed countries used to transform their economies is dangerous for humanity to use. By their own admission, Africa contributed about 3% of global emissions. Yet when it comes to the search for solutions, we are asked to make as much contributions as those who were responsible for the problems. Climate justice cannot be reduced to dollars and cents. Africa is not prepared to abandon the over 125 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves and over 630 trillion cubic feet of gas in its subsoil in the name of energy transition.”

“Investors like money. They don't like noise. When they hear a lot of noise, they move. Without drilling, you do not have a discovery. Without a discovery, you don't have a development. Without a development, you do not have production and without production, you do not have revenue. Gas is the future. I am going to repeat it again: gas is the future.”

“Africa’s energy transformation is a key priority for IRENA. For the continent, renewable energy is not just a climate priority but a pathway to socio-economic transformation. Reaching climate and energy goals needs a bottom-up approach to energy planning. The building of a new energy system is not just a technical challenge. It is a collective endeavor that requires sustained commitment and collaboration from all stakeholders.”

“Technologies such as electric cookstoves and clean fuels are available and scalable. The challenge lies in deploying them at scale and speed and ensuring that no community is left behind. This is why we need urgent, robust policies, dedicated infrastructure and above all, significant investment. Africa's population is growing faster than any other region in the world. We have a golden opportunity to demonstrate leadership in ending energy poverty while accelerating the clean energy transition.”

“We don’t have to be passengers in this energy transition: we have the opportunity to be in the driver’s seat. If we don’t tell the stories of Africa’s successful projects, the world won’t know. These are incredible achievements, and if we don’t tell these stories, the world won’t know. Investing in local supply chains and enabling SMEs will yield huge dividends, not just in wealth creation, but also in project execution and delivery risk mitigation.”

“Strengthening energy security and economies through inter-African trade in sustainable solutions. If we are going to implement the protocol on digital trade that is going to facilitate digital trade in the continent, we have to have electricity. Energy services do underpin the productivity, the economic resilience, and inclusive growth of our continent. We need energy and we need to have policies that will be able to ensure that we have efficient and sufficient energy in the continent.”

“One of the ways to bolster the African Continental Free Trade initiative is getting energy on a sustainable basis. For every historical period, technology is the biggest game changer. It essentially gets countries and continents towards economic prosperity. Technology helps us to clean up the process of carbon emissions because that is very critical as we move towards our goals of net zero.”

“The AI-powered energy revolution is transforming how we generate, store, distribute, and consume energy. These tools are not just enhancing efficiency, they are redefining what is possible. Africa stands at a unique crossroads. We have the opportunity to leapfrog outdated systems and build a digitally native, inclusive, and sustainable energy ecosystem. Revolutionizing our energy mix must go hand in hand with the broader digital transformation of Africa.”

“We must teach our communities how to preserve energy, how to use it wisely, and how to build and maintain clean energy systems. We must invest in affordable, low costing energy technologies for everyone. With reliable and clean energy solutions, no one will have to read by lanterns. Clinics can store medicines safely. Doctors and nurses can treat patients safely during power outages. Machines can work without any interruptions. And our future engineers will have the skills to innovate and lead Africa’s energy revolution.”