A central message from the three-day meeting was that Africa’s enormous solar potential will translate into meaningful development only if countries can mobilise investment, strengthen partnerships and scale viable projects. The post ‘Africa’s solar wealth needs investment to power growth’ appeared first on newsday .
VICTORIA FALLS, Aug. 30 (NewsDay Live) — Africa has abundant sunshine, but needs more financing, partnerships and bankable projects to turn its vast solar potential into reliable power for homes, farms and businesses, delegates at a major clean-energy meeting heard this week.
The eighth meeting of the International Solar Alliance Regional Committee for Africa, held in Victoria Falls, brought together policymakers, development partners and energy stakeholders to discuss financing and practical solutions for the continent’s clean-energy transition.
A central message from the three-day meeting was that Africa’s enormous solar potential will translate into meaningful development only if countries can mobilise investment, strengthen partnerships and scale viable projects.
“The opportunity is to expand energy access while supporting productive livelihoods, climate resilience and sustainable economic development,” organisers said.
Discussions focused on ways to de-risk solar projects to attract private capital, expand mini-grids and off-grid energy systems, and ensure communities benefit through jobs and the productive use of electricity in agriculture and small businesses.
With more than 600 million Africans still lacking access to electricity, delegates said the focus must shift from policy commitments to implementation, including by unlocking financing and facilitating technology transfer.
United Nations Resident Coordinator Rosemary Kalapurakal took part in high-level engagements and visited the UN exhibition, which showcased renewable-energy initiatives being implemented in Zimbabwe, including projects supported through the Joint SDG Fund Programme.
Zimbabwe’s exhibit highlighted solar-powered water systems and other energy-access initiatives targeting rural communities.
The meeting concluded with a call for stronger collaboration between governments, development partners and private investors to convert Africa’s solar resources into projects capable of delivering measurable economic and social benefits.
For a continent with some of the world’s richest solar resources, delegates said, the challenge is no longer whether the energy potential exists, but whether Africa can mobilise the capital and partnerships needed to turn sunlight into power and investment into lasting development.
The post ‘Africa’s solar wealth needs investment to power growth’ appeared first on newsday.
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