African Clean Energy Innovators Call for Smarter Investment in London

At London Climate Action Week, African climate and clean energy innovators made a strong call for smarter, long-term investment to support solutions already changing lives in rural hospitals, homes and businesses across the continent.

The event, which began on Monday, 24 June, ran throughout the week tagged

“Financing Africa’s Clean Energy Innovators” organised by Ashden, a UK charity that supports climate solutions and helps clean energy pioneers grow their impact.

Held in the heart of London, it brought together leaders from Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, all part of Ashden’s Powering Clean Energy Investment programme.

These entrepreneurs are bringing solar power, e-mobility and clean cooking to communities left behind by traditional systems. But despite proven success, many still struggle to access the kind of financing that can help them scale their work and reach millions more.

The UK’s Special Representative for Climate, Rachel Kyt, said the world has what it needs to deliver clean energy for all, the money, the technology and the political will.

“One of the original drivers behind the Paris climate agreement was to provide clean, affordable and reliable energy for everyone. And the great news is that this technology is within our reach. It is financially within our reach. It is politically within our reach. We’ve just got to get a little bit better organised in order to be able to do it.”

She also said many financial systems are not built to serve smaller, high-impact projects in developing countries, and called for change.

“In many countries, the financial markets are not deep enough, liquid enough and broad enough. And so, there is important structural work that we as the UK will increase and have to be involved in. But don’t ever give up on the idea that this is entirely, entirely, entirely achievable.

When clean, affordable, reliable electricity comes to a village, it transforms everything.”

One of the most emotional moments of the event came from the Chief Executive Officer of Burasolutions Energy in Nigeria, who described the reality faced by health workers before his solar installations reached them.

“The deadliest thing in Nigerian Hospitals is not malaria, it’s not typhoid, and it’s not even COVID 19. It’s darkness. I can’t forget what a nurse told me four years ago at Bori Zonal Hospital in Southern Nigeria. She said, ‘We give birth to babies with the help of candlelight and prayers”.

“Today, we are scaling solar for healthcare and rural communities. We have conducted feasibility studies at multiple sites in Nigeria. We have over 270 sites in our project pipeline, where we want to design solar solutions that will meet their energy demands, Let’s transform candlelight and prayers into sustainable power”.

Other innovators shared similar stories of transformation. In Uganda, Claire Bakhita of GOGO Electric said electric motorbikes are helping drivers like Tony earn more money and support their families.

In Zimbabwe, Lisa Mare of Mobility for Africa explained how electric tricycles are giving rural women like Sekai the power to earn over $100 a week, a big change from living on less than $1 a day.

Founder of Salpha Energy, Sandra Chukwudozie in Nigeria, shared how she built a clean energy business despite being told she couldn’t succeed. Her company has now brought solar power to millions, reduced costs, and partnered with microfinance banks to reach even more people.

CEO of OffGridBox, Jodie Wu highlighted a big gap in investment, small rural health clinics. While more than $1 trillion has gone into solar energy in the last decade, she said, almost none of it reached frontline health services. Her company offers a monthly payment model that ensures these clinics get the power they need, and keep it running.

Speakers also pointed out the difficulties of attracting investment, especially when systems are fragmented and donors fail to support long-term operations. Finance experts at the event said there must be better coordination and more flexible funding tools.

Ashden CEO, Ashok Sinha closed the event by urging funders to support solutions that are already working.

He said the world has just five years left to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including access to affordable, clean energy for all. Ashden, which has supported over 250 sustainable energy pioneers since 2001, is focused on turning proven local solutions into global change. As their work shows, the answers to the energy crisis exist they just need the right support to grow