30 September 2026: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is taking steps to strengthen regulation of its electricity sector to improve the financial sustainability of utilities, attract investment and expand access to power.

The Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARE) and the African Development Bank held a stakeholder workshop in Kinshasa from 21 to 25 September as part of the African Energy Sector Technical Assistance Programme (AESTAP).

The workshop brought together experts from the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity, ARE, the National Electricity Company (SNEL), private operators and other public institutions to discuss three key reforms: determining the cost of electricity supply, harmonising tariff methodology and establishing a regulatory framework for electricity grid connections.

“Effective economic regulation is an essential foundation for attracting investment, strengthening the sector’s sustainability and improving the quality of electricity services,” said Callixte Kambanda, Head of the Energy Policy, Regulation and Statistics Division at the African Development Bank. “Through AESTAP, the African Development Bank is supporting the DRC in developing the tools and capacities needed to translate regulatory reforms into tangible results for the population.”

The tariff study covering SNEL’s operational area is designed to equip the regulator with tools to assess the actual costs of electricity services, changes in demand, and the revenues required by operators.

The study recommends gradually introducing a transparent and equitable tariff framework that protects household purchasing power whilst ensuring adequate returns to support investment in power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.

“This study provides us with essential tools to better understand the sector’s costs, changes in demand and the effects of pricing decisions,” said Soraya Aziz-Moto, Director-General of ARE. “It will contribute to more transparent and predictable regulation that is more focused on achieving balance within the sector, whilst taking consumers’ needs into account.”

Beyond tariff setting, the reforms aim to strengthen the sector’s financial viability and improve predictability for investors.

Cherif Mohamed, the African Development Bank’s Country Manager for the DRC, said the work goes beyond the technical issues of tariffs and grid connection. “It forms part of a broader discussion on how the Democratic Republic of the Congo can build a well-regulated, financially viable electricity sector capable of attracting the investment needed to extend electricity access across the entire country,” he said.

The study also highlights the distinctive structure of SNEL’s customer base. According to SNEL’s 2024 annual report, the company had nearly one million billed customers and sold about 10,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, with most of the energy consumed by high-voltage customers.

Whilst low-voltage customers account for over 99 percent of SNEL’s portfolio, a small number of large industrial consumers account for the bulk of electricity consumption. This imbalance underscores the need for more reliable sector data to improve national energy demand forecasting.

The study recommends initially adopting a simple, operational tariff framework, with more sophisticated mechanisms introduced progressively as data quality and institutional capacity improve.

The reforms are part of Mission 300, a joint initiative by the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

25 September 2026: The Government of Botswana, through the Ministry of Minerals and Energy, with support from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), launched two complementary national instruments designed to accelerate the country’s renewable energy development while unlocking new opportunities for clean technology manufacturing and investment. The launch event took place on the sidelines of New York City Climate Week and the UN General Assembly.

The Botswana National Renewable Energy Power Sector Plan and the Botswana Clean Technology Manufacturing Policy and Investment Guide provide a coordinated framework for Botswana to move from renewable energy ambition to implementation, strengthening the power sector while positioning the country to capture greater economic value from the clean energy transition.

The Botswana National Renewable Energy Power Sector Plan provides the analytical foundation for scaling renewable generation. It sets out scenarios, investment priorities and recommendations to guide the development of Botswana’s power sector towards its 2030 renewable energy target and beyond.

Complementing this, the Botswana Clean Technology Manufacturing Policy and Investment Guide looks beyond electricity generation to the wider industrial opportunity presented by the energy transition. It identifies opportunities to develop domestic value chains around solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing and related industries, while outlining the policy incentives, institutional support and investment-enabling measures available to attract and retain private capital. The Guide also places Botswana’s clean technology manufacturing ambitions within the broader regional market, highlighting opportunities arising from SADC, SACU and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) frameworks.

Together, the Plan and the Guide provide a coherent investment proposition: a pathway to expand renewable power while using that expansion as a platform for industrial development, job creation, value-chain growth and economic diversification.

Speaking at the launch, Hon. Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, Minister of Minerals and Energy, Republic of Botswana, said:

“Botswana is entering a new phase in its energy development, one in which renewable energy is central to strengthening our power system and creating new opportunities for investment, industrial development and economic diversification. These two instruments give us a practical roadmap to move from ambition to implementation, creating the policy clarity and investment opportunities needed to build a competitive renewable energy and clean technology sector in Botswana.”

Damilola Ogunbiyi, the CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), said:

“Botswana has an opportunity to turn its renewable energy ambition into an engine for broader economic transformation, one that can drive investment, innovation and sustainable growth across sectors. We commend the Government of Botswana, and particularly the Ministry of Minerals and Energy, for its leadership. We are proud to have supported the development of these two important instruments.”

The launch comes at a critical moment for Botswana as it seeks to expand reliable and affordable electricity access while creating jobs and strengthening domestic industrial capacity. The two instruments therefore mark an important step towards a more integrated approach to the energy transition, linking renewable power deployment with industrial policy, investment mobilization and regional economic integration.

The Government of Botswana will work with public and private sector partners to support the implementation of the recommendations and help translate the identified opportunities into investments that contribute to Botswana’s long-term energy security, economic diversification and sustainable development.

24 September 2026: The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Alliance for Renewable Electrification (ARE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation on renewable electrification, investment and sustainable energy access across Eastern and Southern Africa.

The MoU was signed at ARE’s Green Industrialisation Days (GID) in Brussels, a gathering where public and private stakeholders share market intelligence, forge new partnerships and fast-track renewable energy projects that drive the green industrialisation of commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses in emerging markets.

The agreement brings together COMESA, a regional economic community of 21 African Member States with a combined population of more than 640 million, and ARE, the global industry platform for renewable electrification in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, which federates more than 170 renewable energy companies with a combined turnover exceeding EUR 58 billion.

At a time when countries across the region are seeking to expand reliable and affordable electricity access while strengthening energy security and responding to climate change, the MoU provides a framework for closer collaboration between public institutions and a united private sector.

Work under the MoU will focus on turning regional priorities into concrete opportunities on the ground. Together, COMESA and ARE will produce joint knowledge products, deliver training workshops and organise study tours, while systematically channelling private-sector input into policymaking to drive results at scale.

The two organisations will also work on project preparation and investment readiness, helping developers build scalable business models and bankable project pipelines, and will facilitate targeted matchmaking at industry events to catalyse new business relationships.

Finally, their knowledge exchange and convening activities will build on existing regional platforms, connecting an enabling policy environment with a stronger flow of investable projects and fostering sustained public-private dialogue.

“Energy is the backbone of regional integration and industrial development. Our Member States have set ambitious goals for electricity access and energy security, and meeting them will require the full engagement of the private sector. This MoU with ARE gives us a structured channel to bring industry expertise into our regional policy work and to mobilise the investment our region needs.”— Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Kadah – Assistant Secretary General Programs.

“Regional ambition needs private-sector delivery. By combining COMESA’s political leadership across the region with the collective strength of the private sector that ARE represents, we are bringing policymakers and industry to the same table, so that more projects reach financing and more people and businesses gain access to clean, reliable power.”— David Lecoque, CEO of ARE.

24 September 2026: The African Development Bank Group has called for clean cooking to be treated as a development imperative and a collective responsibility, urging governments and partners to place it at the heart of Africa’s energy transition.

The call came during the High-Level Heads of State Event on Clean Cooking in Africa, held Tuesday 22nd September during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. Convened by Kenya and Norway, in collaboration with the International Energy Agency, the Clean Cooking Alliance and UN Energy, it was the first time that clean cooking has taken the center stage in the UN General Assembly’s history.

The event brought together heads of state, ministers, multilateral development banks, United Nations agencies and other partners, to raise political ambition and accelerate progress toward universal access to clean cooking across Africa.

Nearly one billion Africans still lack access to clean cooking, forcing many households to rely on wood, charcoal and other traditional biomass fuels that contribute to indoor air pollution, deforestation and lost productivity. Women and children are disproportionately affected, bearing the greatest health risks and spending hours collecting fuel that could otherwise be used for education, work and enterprise.

President William Ruto of Kenya, who addressed the event, said clean cooking should be integrated into national planning across African governments. Kenya will host the second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa in Nairobi in January 2027, where leaders and partners are expected to convert the political momentum generated in New York into concrete investment commitments and implementation plans.

African Development Bank Group Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, who represented President Sidi Ould Tah, said clean cooking could no longer be treated as a secondary issue in the energy transition.

“How a family cooks affects health, forests, productivity, gender equality, and the daily lives of millions of women and children in Africa,” she said. “It is therefore not a marginal issue; it is central to development, climate action and human dignity.”

Mission 300 — the joint initiative between the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030 — has helped shift the conversation on household energy access, Akin-Olugbade said. She said all 36 National Energy Compacts adopted to date by African countries within the initiative now include clean cooking ambitions, with countries pursuing a range of pathways including improved cookstoves, liquefied petroleum gas, electric cooking, biogas, bioethanol and briquettes.

Following the first Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa in 2024, the Bank Group committed to channel USD 2 billion over ten years to clean cooking. It has already channelled approximately USD 135 million to clean cooking projects — a ten-fold increase compared with its cumulative financing for the sector before the 2024 Summit.

The Bank Group’s support is already visible across the continent. In Uganda, it is supporting the deployment of biogas plants and subsidies that make efficient electric cooking appliances more affordable. In Tanzania, electric cooking devices are being integrated into wider electrification investments. In Rwanda, results-based financing is designed to expand access to clean cooking technologies for 100,000 households and 300 institutions.

The Bank Group is also expanding concessional and catalytic finance for clean cooking through the Rome Process/Mattei Plan Financing Facility and the Africa Clean Cooking Program under the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa.

The session was marked by high level interventions including Ireland announcing a pledge of EUROS 300,000 to support the work of the Clean Cooking Alliance.

“Success will not be measured by the dollars we invest, but by the lives we improve,” Akin-Olugbade said. “Clean cooking must become a central pillar of Africa’s energy transition — one that demands political leadership, sustained financing and collective action at scale.”

23 September 2026: UN Secretary-General António Guterres today launched the Global Grids Accelerator, a new initiative to help accelerate investment in electricity infrastructure across Africa and South-East Asia and help turn government and regional priorities into investable, operational projects.

Announced ahead of the UN Climate Summit 2026, the Accelerator will focus on grid priorities identified by governments, bringing together the policy expertise, project preparation, finance, and implementation support needed to move them forward.

The initiative responds to a central challenge of the energy transition: renewable power is expanding rapidly, but in many places the grids needed to connect and carry that electricity are not keeping pace.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “Renewables are booming, but the grids that carry clean power are not keeping pace. Grids are the arteries of the energy transition. The Global Grids Accelerator will help bring the expertise, finance and support needed to build them – expanding access, strengthening energy security and powering growth in developing countries.”

Electricity grids have emerged as one of the biggest bottlenecks in the global energy transition. More than 2,500 gigawatts of renewable energy projects - equivalent to nearly twice the entire electricity generation capacity of the United States - are currently stalled in grid-connection queues worldwide. Annual global investment in grids, now approximately $450 billion, needs to increase by around 50 percent by 2030 to keep pace with rising electricity demand and record renewable power additions as confirmed by the International Renewable Energy Agency. The International Energy Agency estimates that more than 80 million kilometers of grids – roughly equivalent to the entire global grid in existence today – will need to be added or refurbished by 2040.

The result is a growing mismatch: clean power is being deployed at record speed, while the infrastructure needed to connect and move that electricity is struggling to keep pace. For developing countries, this is also a development challenge. Grid constraints can delay new power generation, constrain industrial growth, and slow efforts to expand access to reliable and affordable electricity.

Modern and stronger grids and regional interconnections can help countries make better use of their vast renewable resources, strengthen energy security, and support new industries and jobs.

The barriers are not primarily technological. A key barrier is turning long-term power plans into investable projects and connecting projects with affordable finance and delivery capacity.

Governments, utilities, and regional institutions face policy, regulatory, and institutional constraints. At the same time, expertise and resources are spread across governments, development financial institutions, investors, utilities, technology providers and international organizations.

The Global Grids Accelerator will not create a new financing institution or replace existing initiatives. Its role is to help developing countries navigate this complex landscape by bringing together relevant policy, technical, financing and implementation partners around priority grid investments and helping move those priorities towards delivery.

Supporting country and regional priorities

In Africa, the Accelerator will build on continental, regional and national initiatives already underway, including the Continental Power System Master Plan, the African Single Electricity Market, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, Mission 300 and the National Energy Compacts.

Working with Member States, the African Union Commission, development banks and other regional and international partners, it will support priority grid investments and regional interconnections, and the infrastructure needed to expand reliable and affordable electricity.

In South-East Asia, the Accelerator will support regional and national initiatives including the ASEAN Power Grid, working with ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Centre for Energy, development banks and other partners to advance priority grid investments, regional interconnections and cross-border electricity trade.

The Government of Singapore, which will be serving as ASEAN Chair beginning in January 2027, said: “Modern, resilient, and interconnected grids are essential to strengthening energy security and enabling ASEAN’s transition to a low-carbon future. Singapore will continue to work with our ASEAN partners to advance the ASEAN Power Grid and cross-border electricity trade, including overcoming regulatory hurdles and developing clear frameworks for cross-border infrastructure such as submarine power cables. International support can complement ASEAN-led efforts by helping translate our shared ambitions for regional connectivity into viable projects on the ground.”

Across both regions, the Accelerator will support grid priorities identified by countries themselves, spanning policy and planning, project preparation, finance and investment, and implementation.

Coordinating support across the UN system

The Accelerator will bring together diverse capabilities from across the United Nations system to provide more coordinated and effective support for country and regional grid priorities. The UN DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP), the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) will convene the Accelerator working with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Global Compact and other UN system entities to mobilize their respective policy, technical, financing and implementation capabilities.

Alexander De Croo, Administrator of UNDP, said: “Grids are the backbone of modern energy systems. They power hospitals, connect businesses, create jobs and make industrial growth possible. Yet too many clean energy projects remain stuck between national plans and investable pipelines. The Global Grids Accelerator will help countries in Africa and South-East Asia to help close that gap by bringing the right partners together around country-led priorities. Clean power only changes lives when it reaches people.”

Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of UNOPS, said: “To move from ambition to impact, the energy transition requires delivery on the ground. UNOPS is proud to support the Global Grids Accelerator by bringing expertise in procurement, infrastructure and project management to turn national plans into clean reliable power for millions of people.”

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, said: “The ASEAN Power Grid has the potential to be a pathfinder for Asia and the Pacific, demonstrating how cross-border grid interconnection can strengthen energy security, accelerate the clean energy transition and deliver shared economic benefits. The Global Grids Accelerator provides an important opportunity to bring together the partnerships, expertise and resources needed to translate such regional ambitions into accelerated implementation. By building on ASEAN’s experience and enabling lessons and solutions to travel across borders, the Accelerator can help catalyse a new generation of interconnected, resilient and sustainable power systems across Asia and the Pacific and beyond.”

Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of UNECA, said: “The Global Grids Accelerator should be grounded in Africa’s realities, build on existing continental and regional frameworks, and provide a practical pathway to rapidly expand and modernize electricity grids. It should contribute to a world better served by electricity to advance inclusive and sustainable development. The Accelerator should leverage and reinforce the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), and Continental Power Master Plan (CMP).”

Gerd Müller, Director General of UNIDO, said: “The grids we build in the future must do more than transmit clean power: they must strengthen resilience, reduce import dependence and create local value. Through the Accelerator, UNIDO will work with governments, regional institutions and utility companies to link grid development with industrial strategies from the outset, turn grid plans into investment pipelines for industrial development, mobilize capital, and build skills and technical capacity. This is how grid investment can drive green industrialization and lasting prosperity.”

Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for SEforALL, said: “The Global Grids Accelerator is an important opportunity to bring the UN system focused on ensuring stronger and more resilient grids that are critical to expanding electricity access, integrating growing shares of clean energy and supporting economic growth and industrial development. At SEforALL, we are proud to work with partners across the UN system to help countries turn their priorities into practical action.”

The Accelerator will work with Member States and regional institutions, and engage multilateral development banks and international institutions, including the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the World Bank, the Climate Investment Fund (CIF), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Investors, utilities, technology providers and industry will also be engaged according to the needs of individual country and regional priorities.

Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), said: “Electricity grids are the missing link in the energy transition. Without stronger, smarter and more interconnected networks, we cannot fully deliver on renewable energy, electrification, energy security and industrial competitiveness. The European Investment Bank welcomes efforts to accelerate investment in grid infrastructure and, as one of the world's largest financiers of energy infrastructure, stands ready to support this collective effort and help unlock the investment needed to deliver the Global Grids Accelerator's objectives.”

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, said: “I strongly welcome the launch of the Global Grids Accelerator. It comes at a critical moment. Renewable power is scaling at record speed, but grids are not keeping pace. We must urgently expand, modernise and invest in grids to build the electrified, renewable-powered energy system of the future. IRENA’s analysis has consistently highlighted the widening gap between renewable deployment and grid development. If we do not close this gap, we risk holding back the enormous gains renewables can deliver for economic development, energy security and climate protection, particularly across Africa and South-East Asia. My message is clear: no grids, no energy transition. IRENA stands ready to fully support this important UN initiative by leveraging its data, knowledge, regional cooperation and private-sector partnerships like UNEZA, the Utilities for Net Zero Alliance.”

Tariye Gbadegesin, CEO of the Climate Investment Fund (CIF), said: “The Global Grids Accelerator promises to focus much-needed attention on a vital link in the clean energy transition: smart, flexible and reliable systems to get that energy where it is needed. CIF is proud to be part of the solution by offering the world’s only climate finance program fully dedicated to the modernisation and expansion of national energy systems.”

Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Vice President of AIIB, said: “Modern, reliable, and interconnected electricity grids are essential to achieving a secure and inclusive clean energy transition. As a core area of AIIB’s energy sector engagement, grid investments have reached approximately USD 2.7 billion in approved financing by mid-2026, supporting our members in integrating renewables, strengthening power system reliability, and expanding access to affordable electricity. AIIB welcomes the Global Grids Accelerator and its focus on Africa and Southeast Asia as an opportunity to turn national and regional grid priorities into bankable opportunities, help mobilize capital, and accelerate the delivery of resilient, technology-enabled power systems, with lessons and solutions that can benefit other regions as well.”

"Modern and interconnected power systems are essential to advancing sustainable development, strengthening energy security, and unlocking the full potential of renewable energy across Asia and the Pacific. Through its support for the ASEAN Power Grid and recently launched Pan-Asia Grids Initiative, the Asian Development Bank is working with its members and partners to advance regional power connectivity and cross-border power trade. The Global Grids Accelerator provides an important platform to bring together governments, development partners, financiers, and technical institutions behind shared priorities. ADB stands ready to contribute its financing, knowledge, and convening capabilities tohelp translate regional power grid ambitions into tangible investments that deliver sustainable and inclusive development outcomes,” said Wempi Saputra, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank.

Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank, said: “The Global Grids Accelerator will strengthen the pillars underpinning Mission 300 while facilitating connection of millions more people and businesses to reliable, affordable, and modern electricity. Thereby enhancing confidence in the goal of providing electricity access to an additional 300 million people by 2030 in Africa.”

At the launch, UN Principals, Member State representatives from Africa and ASEAN, and senior representatives of international and development finance institutions will set out how the Accelerator will operate, identify an initial set of country and regional priorities for support and set out the capabilities partners can bring to them in Africa and South-East Asia.

They will also set out a series of milestones through the thirty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya and into 2027.

The Global Grids Accelerator advances the Secretary-General’s longstanding call for a faster, fairer transition to clean energy by tackling one of its most important infrastructure constraints. By helping developing countries to advance the grid investments needed to connect clean power, expand electricity access and enable green industrialization, the Accelerator aims to support countries incapturing more of the development benefits of the clean energy transition - including jobs, growth and greater energy security.

23 September 2026: The Government of Mozambique today announced its intention to establish a Strategic Funding Coalition for Off-Grid Electrification, bringing together development finance institutions, climate and energy funds, philanthropies and private investors to coordinate and mobilize financing to accelerate rural electrification.

Announced during a high-level roundtable convened by the Government of Mozambique on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, the proposed coalition, supported by the UN through Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and Enabel, the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation, will help implement Mozambique’s ambition to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, using renewable energy to drive economic development, industrialization and greater climate resilience.

Mozambique has already more than doubled electricity access, from 31 percent in 2018 to nearly 65 percent today. Its National Energy Compact targets 100 percent access by 2030, requiring an additional 4.9 million connections and aiming to mobilize USD 18.6 billion across the energy sector, including about USD 8.7 billion from the private sector.

Off-grid solutions will be critical to reaching this ambitious target. Mozambique’s National Geospatial Least-Cost Electrification Pathway, developed with support from SEforALL, identifies 2.5 million off-grid connections, requiring an estimated USD 1.1 billion in investment. The proposed coalition will develop a coordinated financing architecture to support the full deployment life-cycle of off-grid technologies, blending public and concessional resources with guarantees, results-based financing and commercial capital to de-risk investment and expand private-sector participation.

H.E. Daniel Chapo, President of the Republic of Mozambique, said:

“Mozambique is putting energy at the heart of our development. Our goal is to ensure that energy creates opportunity — powering businesses, strengthening agriculture, supporting industry and improving essential services. Through this coalition, we want to bring government and our partners around a common financing framework that can turn our considerable renewable energy potential into jobs, growth and greater resilience for our people.”

The initiative builds on reforms already underway to strengthen the market for private investment, including improved planning, sectoral coordination platforms, updated regulatory frameworks, competitive off-grid electrification concession tenders and financing mechanisms designed to support renewable energy companies. The National Energy Compact explicitly prioritizes dedicated credit lines, guarantee schemes and other instruments to address barriers including limited local-currency financing.

It also builds on the Green Climate Fund-supported PURE Mozambique Rural Climate Project, jointly implemented by FUNAE, Enabel and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL). The seven-year initiative will use solar-powered mini-grids and productive uses of renewable energy to benefit approximately 225,000 people, 52 percent of them women, strengthen rural livelihoods and avoid an estimated 399,131 tonnes of CO₂e emissions over its lifetime. The New York roundtable includes the signing of a Letter of Intent between FUNAE, Enabel and SEforALL to cooperate on delivery of the GCF-funded project.

Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, said:

“Mozambique has made significant energy access progress, and the next chapter must be about using energy to power economic growth. Achieving that ambition will require financing at a much greater scale and strong coordination between government, investors and partners. SEforALL is proud to support Mozambique in turning its energy ambitions into the foundation for lasting economic transformation through data-backed strategies.”

Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel, said:

“The PURE Mozambique project is already showing the direction of travel: rural electrification must go beyond connections to create productive economies and resilient communities. The proposed coalition allows us to take that approach to scale, combining climate and development finance with private investment to build a sustainable market for rural energy.”

As its first action, the proposed coalition will embark on a nine-month process to co-develop a National Off-Grid Financing Roadmap, identifying financing gaps, de-risking mechanisms and opportunities to mobilize greater public and private capital. The Government and its partners are targeting a public launch of the roadmap and associated funding announcements at COP32 in November 2027.

Mozambique’s broader energy ambition extends beyond universal access. Renewable energy currently accounts for 78.4 percent of the country’s generation mix, with the Government targeting 80.6 percent by 2032 and positioning Mozambique as a regional energy hub that can use its resources to support industrial growth, job creation and Southern Africa’s wider energy transition. The country also plans to extend clean cooking solutions to 54 percent of the population by 2030, up from approximately 17 percent today.

22 September 2026: Mozambique has opened a five-day technical workshop to pre-validate an updated national climate strategy, supported by the African Development Bank, to strengthen the country’s response to extreme weather over the next decade.

The updated National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (ENAMMC) aims to strengthen Mozambique’s resilience to climate-related shocks and support low-carbon development. Once approved, it will set targets, indicators and institutional responsibilities across sectors, helping the country address growing risks from cyclones, floods, droughts, coastal erosion and other climate-induced impacts.

The workshop, which began on 14 September, brought together representatives of public institutions, provincial and district authorities, development partners, the private sector, civil society groups and academia. The opening sessions examined lessons from the preceding strategy and the proposed strategic direction for the new implementation period. Participants reviewed the draft Strategy and supporting documents, including an Action Plan, a Resource Mobilisation Strategy and a Communication Mechanism.

“Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is part of our present reality,” said Sónia Muando, Mozambique’s National Director of Environment and Climate Change, in her opening remarks.

She said cyclones, floods, droughts, coastal erosion, sea-level rise, and ecosystem degradation were already affecting communities, agriculture, infrastructure, and livelihoods.

She emphasised that vulnerable people and communities must remain at the Strategy's centre and that climate action should translate into improved food security, access to water, resilient infrastructure, better housing, protected livelihoods and greater economic opportunities.

Muando called for adaptation to remain a national priority, with greater investment in prevention, preparedness, early-warning systems, spatial planning, resilient construction, and the protection of coastal and terrestrial ecosystems. She also highlighted the need for mitigation measures that support Mozambique’s development, including clean energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable forest management.

Goran Lima, the AfDB’s Principal Country Programme Officer, speaking on behalf of Mozambique Country Manager Rômulo Cunha Corrêa, said the Strategy’s success will hinge on effective implementation, not adoption alone.

“Finalising these documents is not the end of the process; it is the beginning of the more important task of implementation,” Lima said, adding that broad stakeholder buy-in was essential for the plan to function as a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” instrument.

The African Development Bank is funding the updated Strategy through its Africa NDC Hub and the Africa Climate Change Fund Multi-Donor Trust Fund. It complements the Bank’s broader engagement in Mozambique, spanning agriculture, transport, energy, water and sanitation, governance, and disaster preparedness, as outlined in its 2023-2028 Country Strategy Paper.

By the end of the workshop, participants are expected to reach technical consensus on the draft Strategy, its institutional architecture, implementation plan, climate-finance framework and national monitoring system.

21 September 2026: The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund, has approved, on 21 September 2026, a grant of $9.82 million to support the implementation of the Enhancing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Adaptation Project in Eritrea. The project will be implemented in coordination with the Government of the State of Eritrea, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The funds come from the Climate Action Window, a specialised climate finance mechanism backed by the Fund, the African Development Bank Group’s concessional lending window for low-income and transitional countries on the continent.

“The project will enable communities to reduce the long distances they have to travel to access drinking water by a factor of ten, bringing it down to around 500 metres,” emphasised Mtchera Johannes Chirwa, Director of the Water and Sanitation Department at the Bank Group. “Regarding sanitation, it will help to improve WASH facilities in health centres and schools. By strengthening communities’ resilience to climate shocks, the project aims to make a decisive contribution to social stability and to stimulate economic development by tackling environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities.”

The project includes, amongst other things, the construction of boreholes, the installation of rural water supply systems and the modernisation of existing systems, alongside the enhancement of climate knowledge and institutional and human capacity.

The project will contribute to the construction of 21 complete rural water supply systems, the rehabilitation and modernisation of 38 non-functional rural water supply systems, as well as the rehabilitation and modernisation of WASH facilities in 10 health centres and 12 schools. It also provides for the construction of retention dams, earthworks and the planting of trees in catchment areas to improve the sustainability of water resources.

21 September 2026: The African Development Bank Group, the World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank convened a High-Level Dialogue and Curriculum Co-Creation Workshop on the PIUneer platform in Nairobi, Kenya, on 31 August and 1 September.

PIUneer (‘Project Implementation Units for Results’) is a joint platform of multilateral development banks and development partners established to strengthen how development results are measured and delivered by project implementation units (PIUs).

PIUneer aims to address gaps caused by fragmented results monitoring systems across multilateral institutions, and to develop shared standards, using emerging technologies connected to national systems. By equipping results professionals and supporting them with coaching and peer exchanges, it supports better decision-making in project implementation, ultimately leading to stronger development outcomes.

The PIUneer curriculum covers areas such as core monitoring and evaluation skills, delivery approaches, behavioral science, data science, and new technologies such as AI, geospatial data, and digital platforms.

Speaking at the event, John Mbadi, Cabinet Secretary for Kenya’s National Treasury and Economic Planning, framed the country’s key development challenge in stark terms.

"The biggest challenge that we have as a country is the challenge of a growing population; young people coming out of colleges and institutions of higher learning, and jobs are scarce. If you don't find something for them to do, then certainly you will have a problem,” he said.

Ndiame Diop, World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, echoed this view. “Over the next 10 years, 360 million young [Africans] will reach working age… but at present, only about 150 million jobs will be created,” he said, adding that Africa’s youth want jobs and a stake in the future.

Armand Nzeyimana, Director of the Development Impact and Results Department at the African Development Bank, said, “Today's conversation really needs to focus on the execution: translating ambition and investment decisions into measurable, impactful, tangible development outcomes for Africa.”

Emphasising the importance of investing in institutions and people, he added, “It is equally important as we seek to achieve lasting development results to invest in institutions and people…in their ability to plan, prioritise, implement, measure, and use evidence to drive development.”

Syed Husain Quadri, Director of Partnerships, Global Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation at the Islamic Development Bank, stressed the importance of country-led development and urged a unified approach from partners, eliminating a costly scenario that he summed up as “five different results frameworks, five different scorecards, five different mutual assurance agreements.”

The workshop, which marks the beginning of a series of PIUneer engagements and regional rollouts across the continent, concluded with participants converging on a shared vision for the PIUneer curriculum structure, priority competencies, learning model, and way forward.

18 September 2026: The African Development Bank Group will provide reimbursable grants worth USD 20 million to support four green hydrogen/derivatives projects in Egypt, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa.

The financing will be extended under the Africa Green Hydrogen Programme’s call for Proposals (CfP), which took place from 10 April 2026 through 11 May 2026. The Bank Group’s Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth, Kevin Kariuki, announced the CfP outcomes during the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit 2026 in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Pending approval by the Bank’s Board of Directors, the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) will provide the funding, which is intended to prepare projects for investment.

The projects span sustainable marine and aviation fuels (Egypt, Morocco and Namibia) and low-carbon iron (South Africa). Project ‘Ra’ in Egypt (sponsored by DAI Infrastruktur GmbH) will receive $ 3.55 million; Guelmim Green Hydrogen Valley in Morocco (sponsored by Nareva Holding) secured $ 5.28 million; the Hyphen project (sponsored by Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Pty) Ltd) will receive USD 5.93 million; and Saldanha Hydrogen DRI in South Africa, (sponsored by Enertrag SE in collaboration with ArcelorMittal South Africa), secured USD 5.24 million. The four projects represent estimated investments of USD 23 billion, as well as 20GW equivalent of solar and wind energy generation capacity, 7 GW of electrolyser capacity and 2950 MWh of battery energy storage capacity.

The Africa Green Hydrogen Programme aims to catalyse private sector participation in the hydrogen infrastructure segment by improving bankability and promoting foreign direct investment. Leveraging green hydrogen and its derivatives for storage of solar and wind power is expected to accelerate renewable energy development by eliminating the need for fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions.

“Africa’s exceptional renewable energy resources give the continent a unique opportunity to become a competitive player in the emerging global green hydrogen and derivatives market,” said Daniel Schroth, Bank Group Director for Renewable and Energy Efficiency. Through the SEFA-funded AGHP, the African Development Bank is helping to move high-potential projects closer to investment readiness.”

The programme will also drive local socio-economic development by increasing access to desalinated potable water and electricity by harnessing surplus generation. It will also advance industrial development, export revenue generation, as well as the transfer of knowledge, technology, skills as well as job creation.

"Being selected under the Africa Green Hydrogen Programme is a strong recognition of the work our team and partners have put into Project Ra over the past several years,” said Ioannis Papassavvas, CEO of DAI Infrastruktur. “We thank the African Development Bank and SEFA for this support and look forward to working closely with the Bank as Project Ra moves toward delivering green ammonia to European and global markets from the heart of the Suez Canal corridor.”

“The Saldanha Hydrogen DRI Project represents a unique opportunity to repurpose and revitalise a strategic industrial asset while positioning South Africa to participate meaningfully in the emerging low-carbon iron economy. By leveraging existing infrastructure, world-class iron ore resources, and abundant renewable energy potential, the project creates a pathway to produce a globally competitive, low-carbon iron product that supports industrial decarbonisation, domestic beneficiation, and long-term economic growth. This project demonstrates how South Africa can build on its industrial heritage to create new opportunities in a low-carbon future,” said Aldrich Louis, Senior Manager, ArcelorMittal South Africa.

“The Saldanha Hydrogen DRI Project showcases the transformative potential of integrating renewable energy, green hydrogen and industrial production at scale. ENERTRAG brings more than 30 years of experience in renewable energy and integrated energy systems, and we are proud to work alongside ArcelorMittal South Africa on a project that could become a global benchmark for industrial decarbonisation. Saldanha offers an opportunity to combine exceptional renewable resources with existing industrial infrastructure to produce low-carbon iron for international markets,” said Enos Banda, Chief Executive Officer, Enertrag South Africa.

"Hyphen is absolutely delighted to have been one of four projects selected out of a competitive process for the prospective award of a reimbursable grant under the Africa Green Hydrogen Programme. Hyphen’s selection is a testament to the quality and maturity of the project. This facility builds on Hyphen's existing relationship with the African Development Bank," said Marco Raffinetti, CEO, Hyphen Hydrogen Energy.

The Africa Green Hydrogen Programme’s call for proposals attracted 81 proposals for projects located in 18 African countries.

17 September 2026: The African Development Bank Group and Hyundai Motor Group have agreed to explore cooperation in sustainable mobility and industrial development in Africa, under a Letter of Intent exchanged during a Bank delegation’s visit to the automaker’s Seoul headquarters on 8 September 2026.

The Letter of Intent outlines six areas for cooperation: (i) clean energy transition, including renewables and green hydrogen; (ii) sustainable mobility; (iii) transport and logistics infrastructure; (iv) electric vehicle value chains leveraging Africa's critical minerals; (v) industrial manufacturing capacity; and (vi) talent development for the mobility and energy sectors.

The Bank Group's Chief Economist and Vice-President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, Prof. Kevin Chika Urama, represented Dr Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank Group at the meeting. President Ould Tah was in Seoul co-chairing the 8th Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Ministerial Conference, which marked the 20th anniversary of the Korea-Africa partnership.

During his visit, President Ould Tah encouraged Korean companies, including Hyundai Motor Group, to expand their investments across Africa, highlighting the continent's growing opportunities in infrastructure, manufacturing, sustainable mobility, and industrial value chains.

He said Africa offers Korean companies a strong commercial opportunity, with local processing helping shorten and diversify global supply chains, reduce disruption risk, create demand for Korean machinery and services, and develop the skilled workforce needed for future operations. Dr Ould Tah stressed that value addition is not charity but a strategic investment in supply-chain security and long-term competitiveness.

Prof Urama met Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Jaehoon Chang to discuss Africa's development priorities and potential partnership opportunities.

"I am pleased to convey President Sidi Ould Tah's appreciation to Mr Jaehoon Chang, Vice Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, and his team for hosting us in Seoul,” he said. “We see Hyundai Motor Group as a strategic partner in Africa's economic transformation. We look forward to translating this intent into the joint preparation of projects that combine Hyundai's and the African Development Bank's respective track records — in sustainable mobility, hydrogen and clean energy technologies, industrial manufacturing, critical minerals and electric vehicle value chains, climate-smart infrastructure, talent development and policy cooperation across the African continent."

The Letter of Intent supports the Bank Group's Four Cardinal Points strategic framework. Electric-vehicle and critical-minerals value chains help build resilient infrastructure and competitive value chains, while talent development advances the objective of turning Africa's demographics into a dividend.

The partnership aligns with the Bank Group's ambition to unlock Africa's capital potential by crowding in private investment, technology and long-term industrial capital for transformative projects across the continent.

The Letter of Intent also reflects the Bank Group's role as a platform for financing, investment and private capital mobilisation across the continent. Beyond its own balance sheet, the Bank Group de-risks operations, structures bankable projects and brings public and private capital together at scale — a capability it intends to place at the service of this cooperation.

The intended cooperation would draw on the complementary strengths of the two institutions, combining the Bank Group's development finance expertise and convening power with Hyundai Motor Group's technological capabilities, investment capacity and industrial capabilities.

"This partnership marks the starting point of a long-term collaboration to support Africa's energy transition and strengthen industrial competitiveness," Mr Chang said. "Building an integrated financing package that links policy finance with private capital, while securing investment stability, is essential to enable the successful execution of our core African business initiatives. We will continue to expand our cooperation with the African Development Bank."

The meeting builds on Hyundai Motor Group's multi-year effort to deepen its understanding of Africa's markets and the continent's evolving needs. A Hyundai Motor Group delegation visited Morocco in May 2026, as part of its Africa talent development efforts, and met African Development Bank Group officials to discuss the Bank Group's mandate, investment approach, and project evaluation processes.

The Letter of Intent is non-binding and creates no financial commitment for either institution. Any project arising from it would be subject to the African Development Bank Group's standard eligibility, due diligence, assessment and approval processes.

The engagement aligns with the African Development Bank Group's broader push to attract private-sector capital, technology and expertise for Africa's development, and marks a step towards linking global industrial capability to the continent's development agenda.

15 September 2026: The Republic of Senegal, with support from the African Energy Commission (AFREC) and technical assistance from the European Union (EU) funded Continental Energy Programme in Africa (CEPA), has developed a new National Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan (NEESAP) to improve its energy productivity. This was alongside introducing Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) Guidelines and Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) adapted to the Senegal context.

The Agency for Energy Economy and Management (AEME) under Senegal’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum presented the results to around 60 representatives from government institutions, the private sector, financial institutions, professional bodies, and development partners in Dakar on 10 September. Stakeholders reviewed the proposed NEESAP, action plan and building-efficiency instruments and provided recommendations to strengthen their alignment with Senegal’s national priorities.

Senegal, one of four countries in the first pilot phase, alongside Burundi, Madagascar and Zimbabwe, could through this modelling process increase its energy productivity and exceed continental targets established under the African Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan (AfEES).“The results of the modelling show that Senegal has the strategic and operational levers to increase its energy productivity by 70% by 2050 and 100% by 2063, thereby exceeding the continental targets,” said Mame Coumba Ndiaye, Director General of AEME.

Energy Efficiency is being positioned as a key component of Senegal’s long-term energy transition and development agenda as the country faces rising energy demand, increasing energy costs, rapid urbanisation and the need to improve economic competitiveness.

For AFREC, the Senegal work demonstrates how a continental African Union Strategy can be translated into country-level action while maintaining national ownership. “A continental strategy only has value when it translates into tangible results at country level. We are not developing strategies for countries; we are developing them with countries, under their leadership and according to their priorities,” said Mr. Mehdi Khouili, the Country Support and Capacity Building Officer at AFREC. “Senegal is showing how Africa’s continental energy efficiency ambition can be translated into concrete national action. Our next challenge is to move together from strategy to implementation, and thereafter to measurable results.”

The NEESAP and associated building-efficiency instruments were developed through national consultations, data collection, technical analysis and energy efficiency modelling, supported by successive engagements with Senegalese institutions. The approach is intended to identify priority measures, clarify institutional responsibilities and establish a basis for programmes and investments that can deliver measurable energy savings.

Following the Dakar workshop, the proposed strategy, action plan and building-performance instruments will be refined and finalised based on stakeholder inputs. AFREC will continue working with AEME and other national stakeholders to support capacity development, monitoring and results measurement, knowledge exchange and engagement with technical and financial partners as Senegal moves towards implementation.

Lessons generated from Senegal and the other three pilot countries will be used to refine the methodology and inform its wider application across African Union Member States, while enabling participating to share experiences and solutions through peer learning.

9 September 2026: The African Development Bank Group and the members of the African Forum of Deposit Funds have agreed to strengthen their cooperation to mobilise more long-term financing for the continent’s sustainable development. Through this strategic alliance, they aim to support productive investment, strengthen the continent’s economic resilience and contribute to more inclusive growth.

Recognising the importance of institutional cooperation, both parties intend to coordinate responses to geopolitical and economic uncertainties, climate-related disruptions, global shocks, market dependencies , and social economic divides.

This structured and evolving cooperation framework respects each partners institutional diversity and complementary mandates. It strategically directs their joint efforts towards high-potential sectors aligned with their respective missions.

The strengthened alliance leverages the complementary strengths of the African Development Bank Group and the African members of the African Forum of Deposit Funds. Together they will facilitate long-term resource mobilisation, support productive investment and promote financing solutions tailored to the continent’s development priorities.

“In a context marked by global economic uncertainty and the need to mobilise more resources for development, no institution can act alone. By strengthening our cooperation with the African members of the African Forum of Deposit Funds, we are creating the conditions for more effective mobilisation of long-term financing to support Africa’s economic transformation, job creation and the resilience of our economies,” said Ahmed Attout, Director of the Financial Sector Development Department at the African Development Bank Group.

Maryse Lokossou, Managing Director of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations du Bénin and current Chair of the African Forum of Deposit Funds, emphasised the strategic role of deposit funds in financing sustainable development and the added value of the partnership with the African Development Bank Group.

“African deposit funds have a unique capacity to mobilise long-term savings for national development. By combining our expertise and investment capacity with those of the African Development Bank Group, we aim to accelerate financing for projects with significant economic and social impact and help build more resilient and inclusive African economies,” Lokossou said.

The two partners intend to deepen their cooperation in several priority areas to increase the impact of their interventions. Their joint activities will include co-financing projects and joint operations, mobilising resources at scale, and developing investment vehicles and platforms to support productive investment, entrepreneurship and job creation.

Cooperation will also be strengthened in knowledge sharing, institutional capacity development and the promotion of solutions to enhance the resilience of African economies to economic, financial, climate-related and external shocks. This approach will bolster investments and cooperation frameworks aligned with national and regional priorities.

This strategic partnership provides a framework for cooperation founded on a shared commitment to Africa’s sustainable and inclusive development. The two parties are committed to promoting an inclusive and predictable African financial system under the New African Financial Architecture for Development. They reaffirm their determination to build a strong, transformative and impact-oriented partnership founded on mutual trust, knowledge sharing and the mobilisation of resources for the benefit of African countries and their people.

7 September 2026: The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a new framework to mitigate the impact of the global energy and fertilizer crisis on African countries.

The Global Energy And Fertilizer Crisis Response Framework (GEFCRF), approved on 1 September 2026, enables the Bank Group to deliver timely, targeted support to address the immediate needs stemming from the crisis and to strengthen African member countries against future shocks.

Building on successful experiences from the Bank’s COVID-19 Response Facility and the African Emergency Food Production Facility, the framework is designed to provide immediate relief while laying foundations for stronger, more self-reliant and resilient African economies.

The framework will be financed through an additional USD 4.1 billion in African Development Bank lending and up to USD 960 million from the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional lending arm. The additional resources will increase the Bank's 2026 lending target to approximately USD 12.7 billion, enabling the Bank Group to provide timely and targeted support to countries affected by the crisis while strengthening resilience to future shocks.

The response is temporary and valid for one year from the Board’s approval date, after which it will be reviewed before extending. The GEFCRF will be demand-driven, with support tailored to address the specific vulnerability levels with an appropriate financial and policy response.

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East continues to pose a significant external shock to African economies, reflected in rising global prices for energy, food, fertilizers and other commodities on which many African countries remain heavily dependent and import massively.

Disruptions to global trade routes and logistics, including key maritime corridors, are compounding these pressures by increasing transport costs, delaying deliveries, and amplifying supply chain fragility.

The GEFCRF will work across four main pillars to:

• Stabilise macroeconomic conditions: Provide rapid counter-cyclical financing, short-term buffers, and coordinated fiscal, monetary, and debt policy responses during shocks.
• Secure critical food, energy and fertilizer supply systems: Use emergency and trade finance to protect food, energy, and fertilizer supplies, while supporting vulnerable populations in particular vulnerable women and stabilising markets.
• Protect essential spending and vulnerable households: Safeguard priority public expenditures and deploy targeted social protection to cushion vulnerable groups in particular women and youth, reduce reliance on broad subsidies and prevent deepening of fragility.
• Sustain reforms for medium to long-term resilience building: Policy space preserved for medium-term reforms that reduce dependence on volatile external energy, food and fertilizer markets, establish foundations for diversified supply chains and regional solutions and enhance fiscal resilience and crisis-response readiness.

“This framework is about listening and responding to the urgent needs of African countries, helping them protect households and vulnerable populations, keep food, fertilizer and energy systems functioning, and preserve hard-won development gains while building greater resilience for the future,” said Abdul Kamara, Acting Vice President for Country and Regional Operations, "A crisis response must do more than cushion the shock. It must make countries stronger. That is exactly what this framework aims to achieve."

“The Bank’s new Global Energy and Fertilizer Crisis Response Framework gives us a way to respond to the pressures African farmers are facing as the conflict in the Middle East disrupts global trade,” noted Martin Fregene, Officer in Charge Vice President for the Agriculture, Human and Social Development.

“When fertilizer becomes too expensive or difficult to find, farmers use less and harvests can suffer. Access to finance is part of the solution, helping businesses keep fertilizer moving to farmers, while we work to build stronger fertilizer markets and more local supply in Africa, “he added.

2 September 2026: AXIAN Group and the African Development Bank have launched a major women’s financial inclusion programme to expand access to finance and business support for more than 34,000 women-led enterprises in five African countries.

Supported by the African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), the programme aims to address one of the biggest constraints facing women-owned businesses in Africa – limited access to finance.

Africa has the highest rate of female entrepreneurship worldwide, yet women entrepreneurs still face an estimated $49 billion financing gap.

The programme will be implemented through AXIAN Group’s digital financial services platforms, Mixx and Mvola, which integrate digital lending, financial literacy training, business development services and digital inclusion initiatives to help women entrepreneurs grow their businesses and improve their access to formal financial services.

It comprises two complementary components. The first will provide tailored digital financial products and services to 34,000 women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Madagascar, Tanzania and Senegal. The second will deliver financial literacy, digital skills and entrepreneurship training to 25,000 women across Madagascar, Tanzania, Senegal, Togo and Comoros.

The programme will leverage mobile money services, digital lending solutions and alternative credit assessment capabilities to reach women entrepreneurs who have traditionally been underserved by conventional financial systems.

Women-owned businesses represent one of Africa’s greatest untapped economic opportunities, yet they continue to face barriers to accessing the financial tools needed to expand, create jobs and contribute more fully to their local economies. Through this partnership, AXIAN and the African Development Bank aim to change that.

"Across Africa, millions of women are already running successful businesses. The challenge is not entrepreneurship. It is access to finance, to digital tools and to opportunities for growth," said Erwan Gelebart, CEO of AXIAN Digibank and Fintech. "Through Mixx and MVola, we are using technology and financial innovation to support women entrepreneurs in building stronger businesses, creating jobs and participating more fully in the digital economy. This programme is about unlocking opportunity at scale."

Melissa Basque-Roux, Coordinator of the African Development Bank’s AFAWA initiative, said that although women entrepreneurs are central to Africa’s economic transformation, too many still face barriers to accessing finance, digital tools and business support needed to grow.

“Through AFAWA and We-Fi, the African Development Bank is pleased to support this partnership with AXIAN, Mixx and MVola. The partnership will expand tailored digital financial services, strengthen financial literacy and unlock new opportunities for women-led businesses across the continent,” she said.

The programme will focus on five priorities: expanding access to digital finance for women-led businesses, strengthening financial and digital literacy, developing financial products tailored to women entrepreneurs, accelerating digital inclusion through mobile technology, and supporting women-owned businesses to transition to and thrive in the formal economy.

Implementation will be led by Mixx & MVola, in partnership with local operating companies in participating countries, combining regional expertise with country-level execution to maximise impact and reach.

The initiative builds on the African Development Bank’s broader support for AXIAN Telecom. In January 2025, the Bank approved a $160 million senior corporate loan to expand digital connectivity and financial inclusion across nine African countries, including dedicated funding for 22,000 women entrepreneurs in Madagascar.

As Africa’s digital economy continues to grow, AXIAN and the African Development Bank believe technology plays a critical role in creating a more inclusive financial system by equipping women entrepreneurs with the tools, capital and skills needed to build sustainable businesses and create jobs.

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About AXIAN: AXIAN is a pan-African infrastructure and services group operating in 21 countries and specialising in five sectors with strong growth potential: energy, digibank & fintech, real estate, financial services and telecoms. With over 9,200 bold and passionate employees, AXIAN is a partner in the socio-economic transformation of the countries in which it operates, systematically ensuring the positive and sustainable impact of its activities on the daily lives of as many people as possible. As a member of the United Nations Global Compact Initiative, AXIAN Group is committed to integrating its 10 principles at the core of its current and future strategies.

About AFAWA: The African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative aims to unlock financing for women-owned and women-led businesses across Africa by addressing structural barriers that limit access to finance and growth opportunities.

About We-Fi: The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) is a global partnership dedicated to supporting women-owned and women-led businesses in developing countries by improving access to finance, markets, technology, and capacity-building.

27 August 2026: Technology group Wärtsilä will supply five Wärtsilä 32 engines for a captive power plant to be installed at the Diamba Sud Gold Project in Senegal. The 14 MW plant is required to ensure a reliable and efficient supply of electricity, which is essential for the mining project's operations. Due to its remote location, the mine will depend solely on this plant for its power needs. The order was placed by Africa Power Services (APS), the France based main contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction of the power plant, on behalf of Fortuna Mining. It was booked as order intake by Wärtsilä in Q2 2026.

The Wärtsilä 32 engine generating set has established a reputation for reliability during 30 years of successful operations, delivering more than 8,000 MW of energy to customers around the world. Its fast-starting flexibility supports the integration of intermittent supplies of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, into power systems by enabling efficient grid balancing. Fortuna Mining has indicated its intention to add renewable energy to this micro grid in the near future.

"Operating a remote, off-grid mine requires reliable power, as any unscheduled downtime carries financial and operational risks. Wärtsilä's engines deliver the continuous performance required for such demanding conditions. Selecting them for Diamba Sud ensures we mitigate operational risks from day one, while building a power foundation that can seamlessly integrate renewable energy assets as the mine evolves," says Cedric Fernandez, Managing Director at APS.

In addition to the engine generating sets, Wärtsilä's scope includes basic engineering, engine specific auxiliary units, and the engine control and monitoring system. The company will also provide advisory support during the installation and commissioning phases.

"This repeat order from APS reinforces Wärtsilä's position as a trusted and reliable solution provider for the mining industry's power needs," says Marc Thiriet, Energy Business Director, Africa at Wärtsilä Energy. "Mining operations are under dual pressure to maintain maximum uptime while actively charting a path toward decarbonisation. By deploying multiple smaller engine-generating sets instead of a single large unit, we enable the plant to match fluctuating load demands with high precision, maximizing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. Critically, these engines feature the starting flexibility required to balance the intermittent nature of solar or wind power, thereby complimenting Fortuna Mining's future plans to introduce renewables to this microgrid strengthening the mines operational stability."

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery in March 2027, and the power plant is expected to be operational by the end of that year.

Fortuna Mining is a Canadian mining company that is developing the Diamba Sud Gold Project in Senegal. Acquired in September 2023, the Diamba Sud Gold Project is located in the Kenieba – Koudougou Inlier, a geologically significant area, which hosts several major gold deposits in eastern Senegal and western Mali.

19 August 2026: The Government of Angola and the African Development Bank Group have launched the Eastern Region Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, a strategic initiative designed to transform the country's agricultural sector.

The initiative is expected to benefit approximately 240,000 households, representing around 1.2 million people, with a strong focus on the economic inclusion of women and young people.

The transformative intervention aims to accelerate agricultural development in Eastern Angola by promoting a more modern, resilient, and market-oriented agricultural sector. It will support the development of value chains for cereals, beans, soybeans, groundnuts, cassava, coffee, cocoa, and palm oil, with particular emphasis on wheat and rice production to help reduce imports while strengthening the production ecosystem of smallholder farmers.

By leveraging the Eastern Region's strategic location along the Lobito Corridor, the project will stimulate agricultural growth, improve market access, attract private investment, and position agriculture as one of the key drivers of Angola's economic diversification.

Speaking at the launch ceremony held 16 July 2026, Isaac dos Anjos, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, said: "The launch of the Eastern Region Agricultural Value Chain Development Project marks an important milestone in the transformation of Angola's agricultural sector. We are creating the conditions for farming families to gain greater access to knowledge, technology, finance, and markets, enabling them to transition from largely subsistence farming to a more productive and market-oriented agricultural system."

The minister underscored how the project reflects the Angolan government's commitment to promoting a modern, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural sector capable of generating income, creating jobs, and improving living conditions in rural communities. “Our partnership with the African Development Bank is essential to accelerating this transformation and ensuring that agriculture continues to serve as one of the country's main engines of economic development," he added.

African Development Bank Country Representative in Angola, Pietro Toigo, stated: "The African Development Bank is proud to support Angola at this decisive stage in unlocking the enormous agricultural potential of the Eastern Region. This project represents a transformative investment to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen value chains, and create economic opportunities for men, women, and young people."

The African Development Bank's vision is to support integrated interventions that deliver sustainable impact by combining infrastructure, technical expertise, innovation, and private sector development.

“We believe this investment will help transform agriculture in Angola into a solid foundation for industrialisation, economic diversification, and inclusive growth," Pietro explained.

The Eastern Region Agricultural Value Chain Development Project further strengthens the strategic partnership between the Government of Angola and the African Development Bank.

18 August 2026: The Africa Circular Economy Facility, a multi-donor trust fund administered by the African Development Bank Group, is expanding its reach to five additional nations supporting the creation and implementation of national circular economy roadmaps and continuing to work with three countries. This second cohort enhances a program that continues to demonstrate how the integration of circularity into public policy, can drive economic transformation.

As part of this second phase of the National Roadmaps for the Circular Economy (NCER) program, Angola, Liberia, Madagascar, and Senegal will develop their own roadmaps by identifying priority sectors, aligning institutional efforts, and tailoring strategic guidelines to their local productive structures. Meanwhile, Benin, Chad, Ethiopia, and Mauritius, are entering the implementation phase to translate government frameworks into actionable policies, funded programs, and sustainable institutional capacities.

“The continent faces an annual development financing gap of more than $400 billion. Roadmaps for the circular economy can help countries strengthen their domestic productive capacities and turn their priorities into investment opportunities,” said Anthony Nyong, Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department at the African Development Bank Group.

A vast portion of Africa’s natural resources continues to be exported unprocessed, hindering industrialisation and limiting local job creation. The circular economy directly mitigates this structural loss of value by retaining resources and their productive potential within national economies.

Focused on value creation and community opportunities, this approach aligns seamlessly with the African Development Bank Group’s Four Cardinal Points strategic vision and the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD) seeking to mobilise more African capital, strengthen the continent’s financial markets, and finance large-scale transformation to promote employment, business growth, and local value creation.

The four countries in the first cohortBenin, Cameroon, Chad, and Ethiopia have already demonstrated the potential of this approach. Their respective roadmaps successfully identified priority sectors, most notably in construction, forestry, agriculture, plastics, textiles, manufacturing, energy, and water management.

In Chad, the roadmap aims to create more than 25,000 green jobs and reduce non-recycled waste by 40% by 2035, across six priority sectors. “Far from being a luxury, this initiative is a vital necessity for Chad’s future. It paves the way for us to diversify an economy that is still heavily dependent on oil,” said Chad’s Minister of the Environment, Hassan Bakhit Djamous.

In Benin, the Circular Economy Action Plan, launched in February 2026, sets ambitious 10-year goals: to achieve a 25% recycling rate, ensure the collection of all municipal waste, and establish 300 circular economy businesses.

Roadmaps serve as structural frameworks for investment. They allow stakeholders to pinpoint the sectors where circular solutions create the most value, organize the actions necessary for deployment, and define the governance mechanisms essential to their sustainability.

Through the Africa Circular Economy Facility, which also finances the African Circular Economy Alliance, the Bank Group provides the technical assistance needed to establish an enabling policy and institutional environment. The goal is to move Africa’s circular economy transformation from ambition to action.

12 August 2026: Scatec ASA, a leading renewable energy solutions provider, has successfully reached Commercial Operations Date (COD) for the second phase of its 1.1 GW Obelisk solar and 100 MW/200 MWh battery storage project in Egypt.

The Obelisk project has been built in two phases. The first phase comprises 561 MW of solar capacity and the total 100 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage system, while the second phase now adds an additional 564 MW of solar capacity. The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was signed in November 2024 and the project has been completed in record time.

“Reaching full commercial operations at Obelisk marks a defining milestone for Scatec. Completing Africa's largest hybrid solar and battery installation demonstrates our ability to develop, finance, and deliver large-scale renewable energy projects in emerging markets. Obelisk will supply clean, reliable power to Egypt for 25 years and is a tangible contribution to the country's energy security and transition,” says Terje Pilskog, CEO of Scatec.

The Obelisk project is Africa’s largest hybrid solar and battery installation, with an expected abatement of more than 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. It is projected to deliver over 3,000 GWh of clean energy annually, which will be supplied to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) denominated in USD.

With Obelisk now fully operational alongside the 380 MW BenBan solar plant, Scatec has approximately 1.5 GW in operation in Egypt. Scatec’s near-term growth portfolio in Egypt further includes more than 4.3 GW of renewable energy capacity and 4.1 GWh of battery storage capacity, with the total combined portfolio expected to deliver approximately 17 TWh of clean electricity annually and provide critical grid stability support. Egypt remains one of Scatec's most important long-term growth markets.

Scatec is the controlling shareholder of the project with National Bank of Egypt, Norfund and EDF Power Solutions as minority equity partners. The project has been financed with the support of leading development finance institutions, with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), African Development Bank (AfDB), British International Investment (BII) and European Investment Bank (EIB) acting as senior lenders. Scatec has developed and delivered the project through its fully integrated business model, providing Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), Asset Management (AM) and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services across the full project lifecycle.

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About Scatec: Scatec is a leading renewable energy solutions provider, accelerating access to reliable and affordable clean energy in emerging markets. As a long-term player, we develop, build, own, and operate renewable energy plants, with 6.4 GW generation and 2 GWh storage capacity in operation and under construction across five continents. We are committed to growing our renewable energy portfolio, delivered by our passionate employees and partners who are driven by a common vision of ‘Improving our Future’. Scatec is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘SCATC’. To learn more, visit www.scatec.com.

6 August 2026: In Ethiopia’s Jimma Zone, smallholder farmers are helping test a new model for African agriculture, backed by the African Development Bank Group and Japan.

The project aims to raise yields, restore depleted soils and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.

The work is supported by the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant (PHRDG), a Japan-financed bilateral trust fund managed by the African Development Bank Group. Established in 1994, PHRDG is the Bank Group’s longest-standing bilateral trust fund and supports technical assistance, human capital development and knowledge exchange in agriculture, food and nutrition security, climate change, debt management and health. Japan has provided more than $50 million to the trust fund.

Through the project, Evidence-based Regenerative Agriculture to Address Climate Change in Africa, PHRDG is helping move Japan’s partnership with the Bank Group from financing and policy dialogue to field-level innovation. Implemented in Ethiopia by the Sasakawa Africa Association, the initiative combines farmer training, climate-resilient crop varieties, soil restoration techniques and Japanese digital agriculture technology.

On demonstration plots in Seka Chekorsa Woreda, farmers are using improved maize and wheat varieties with liming, vermicomposting, biochar-based fertilizers, reduced tillage and digital advisory tools. Early data shows strong productivity gains: wheat yields rose 89%, from 1,293.0 to 2,443.7 kilograms per hectare, while maize yields increased 272%, from 1,222.0 to 4,541.8 kilograms per hectare. The project has reached more than 91,000 farmers in Ethiopia, including nearly 30,000 women.

Tomoki Nakai, Executive Director at the African Development Bank Group, said: “Japan’s partnership through PHRDG demonstrates how innovation can help farmers address some of the most pressing challenges facing African agriculture. The value of this project lies not only in the results it delivers today, but also in the significant opportunities and lessons it offers for strengthening food security and resilient agricultural value chains through farmer-led approaches.”

Nakai, who represents Japan, Argentina, Austria, Brazil and Saudi Arabia on the Bank Group’s Board of Directors, led a June delegation to the project sites to review progress and meet farmers, extension workers, researchers and partners. The delegation included Innocent Musabyimana, the project task manager in the Bank Group’s Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, and Rosa Lugos, Principal Resource Mobilization Officer in the Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Department. The visit was organized by the Sasakawa Africa Association’s Ethiopia country office with local government partners and Jimma University.

The initiative is carried out with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and SoftBank Corp, now Greenin. It combines Sasakawa’s farmer training and sustainable farming expertise, climate-resilient crop varieties developed through the Bank Group’s Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program, and e-kakashi, an artificial intelligence-powered digital agriculture solution developed by SoftBank.

E-kakashi collects and analyzes environmental and field data to help farmers and extension workers make better crop-management decisions. In Jimma, it is supporting analysis of the practices being tested, including their effects on greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon and growing conditions. The evidence generated will help identify techniques that can reduce emissions, improve soil carbon sequestration, increase productivity, and make more efficient use of water, fertilizer and labor.

During the visit, the delegation toured maize demonstration plots in Buyo Kechema Kebele, observed greenhouse gas emissions measurement, and visited a government-supported vermicomposting centre and nursery facilities. At the Shashemene Farmer Training Center, the delegation viewed maize and soybean demonstrations and saw e-kakashi technology supporting digital extension and data collection. The mission also included a visit to a biochar production facility at Jimma University’s College of Agriculture.

Musabyimana said: “This project is helping us move from assumptions to evidence. By measuring what happens in the field, from yield performance to soil conditions and emissions, we can better understand which practices are most effective and what farmers need to adopt them at scale.”

The project responds to constraints in the target communities, including high soil acidity, declining fertility, low productivity, limited adoption of improved agronomic practices, input shortages, drought, flooding and pest risks. Its farm-level package includes reduced tillage, liming, vermicomposting, biochar-based fertilizers, Bio-Boost inoculants, improved seeds, post-harvest technologies and digital extension tools.

The work is part of a broader PHRDG-supported effort across Ethiopia, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Uganda to build evidence on climate-smart farming practices, test farmer incentives, document lessons, and expand adoption of climate-adapted, biofortified and nutrient-rich crop varieties.

The Jimma visit underscored how Japan’s partnership with the Bank Group is translating trust fund financing into practical innovation at farm level, linking Japanese digital technology, scientific evidence, local extension systems and farmer training. As the model is tested and refined, it could offer smallholder farmers a pathway to higher productivity, healthier soils and more resilient farming systems.