The Seventh Meeting of the ISA Regional Committee for Africa Region is ongoing in Accra as 39 African countries and 19 ministers are making a commitment to take action on access to electricity via sustainable energy and solar solutions.
The event has brought together ISA Member Countries from across Africa and international partners to discuss actionable strategies for energy access, solar innovation, and climate-resilient growth.
It is believed that about 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity. Africa represents 17% of the world’s population, yet consumes just 4% of the world’s energy.
By showcasing how this challenges can be addressed, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, Ms Damilola Ogunbiyi, shared the Nigerian example,
” I have to talk about the ‘Actions’ that the D-G of ISA talked about. I have had the honour to work with Mr. Ashish on how we were going to bring electricity to 8 million people in my country.
“I am very glad after the first five years; this has been done and Nigeria has a programme through the World Bank, facilitated through the African Development Bank of connecting 17.5 million people to sustainable Solar Energy”
Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi stressed that creating access to sustainable energy can be done as she is a ‘living proof’.
Mr. Ashish Khanna is the newly elected Director-General of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The International Solar Alliance is a global initiative launched in 2015 by India and France at COP21 in Paris.
It has 124 Member and Signatory Countries. The Alliance works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide, and promotes solar power as a sustainable transition to a clean energy future.
Mr Ashish Khanna, in his inaugral speech emphasised on the belief that access to energy is a fundamental human right, that no country can develop in any sector without.
By this he stressed on ISA’s strategy of “Moving from Ambition to Action,’ aimed at establishing implementation partnerships, finding innovative financing methods, and strengthening local capacities.
“We firmly believe that time for advocacy and talking is over. We are focusing on implementation partnerships against energy poverty in the global South”.
Chairman of the event, Hon. John Jinapor, Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Green Transition put it before Member states that ‘bridging the gap between access to electricity and the underserved is a collective opportunity to transforming pipeline projects into bankable ones, by providing low-risk premiums, and attracting greater private capital.
In attendance at the event on Wednesday was the Economic Advisor to His Excellency the President of Ghana, Mr. Seth Terkper, who was the keynote speaker on behalf of the President Mahama.
Mr. Terkper touted Africa’s energy potential to the member states and added that ISA had created a good opportunity for Africa ‘to harness its abundant solar resources to drive economic growth, create jobs, and improve energy access for millions. Strategic partnerships, capacity building, and innovative financing models are critical to accelerating solar adoption.”
“With nearly 60% of the world’s best solar resources, Africa can leapfrog traditional energy pathways and become a global leader in distributed renewable energy solutions.” Hon. Seth Terkper added.
The Regional Committee Meetings of the ISA is an annual gathering chaired by two Vice Presidents from the Region, and aim to assess and discuss progress, challenges, and opportunities related to ISA’s programmatic support, flagship initiatives, partnerships, private sector engagements, and work plan for the Region.
Representatives from Ghana and Seychelles serve as vice presidents of the ISA in the African Region. A significant goal of the Regional Committee Meetings is coordination among the Region’s Member Countries. At present, the Africa Region hosts 39 Member Countries and 07 Signatory Countries.
At the level of International Solar Alliance(ISA), representatives from the founding nations; India and France serve as co-presidents.
