The African Energy Commission (AFREC) today opened a week-long, in-person training on Renewable Energy Project Planning, Development & Financing in Nairobi. Delivered with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and in collaboration with Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC), the programme equips African decision-makers to move projects from concept to bankable investments and reliable operations, while fostering peer-to-peer knowledge exchange across the Continent. Opening the session, Mr. Rashid Ali Abdallah, AFREC Executive Director, said the initiative is designed to “accelerate the path from policy to pipelines and from pipelines to megawatts by giving practitioners shared tools, a trusted peer network and hands-on practice to turn promising ideas into buildable, financeable and operable projects.”
Hosted with the support of the Government of Kenya, the training convened 45 participants from ministries in charge of energy for an intensive, practice-oriented curriculum aligned to national, regional and continental priorities. Over five days, participants engage the full project cycle Oresource assessment and planning; technology selection and grid integration; policy and regulation; procurement and financing; and project management and operations—through short lectures, concrete case studies and group work, capped by a field visit to translate lessons into real-world applications.
“This is not just another training, it is a milestone moment for AFREC and for Africa. For the first time, we are delivering a course designed, developed, and led by an African institution (AFREC), in collaboration with an African academic partner, Strathmore Energy Research Centre, for top-level decision-makers at African ministries in charge of energy. The training curriculum was approved by select pool of African experts from across the continent. It truly embodies African expertise serving African priorities.” added Mr. Abdallah.
Kenya served as a living classroom for the cohort, drawing on the country’s experience in geothermal scaling, variable renewables integration and access expansion. “This initiative by the African Energy Commission (AFREC) to develop and implement a comprehensive Capacity Building Programme for the African Energy Sector will equip participants from the AU Member States with necessary skills to pursue energy sovereignty for the continent as a development strategy. The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to work with AFREC and the African Union, to accelerate the continent’s transition to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all.” ~ Dan Marangu, Director of Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
A central feature of the programme is structured knowledge sharing: participants exchanged practical insights from their pipelines, stress-tested project documents in small groups, and co-developed checklists and templates that can be adapted and reused by their institutions. The course includes pre- and post-assessments, participant feedback and certificates upon completion, and forms the nucleus of a continental community of practice that continues to collaborate after the training.
“Every country represented here brings unique experiences and solutions shaped by its own realities. Learning from these diverse perspectives is essential, because the expertise needed to drive Africa’s energy transition already exists within Africa. AFREC plays a key role in making this possible. As the African Union’s specialized energy commission, AFREC provides the platform to harmonize efforts across Member States, ensuring that lessons learned in one country can inspire and guide progress in another” said Ms. Ulrika Åkesson – Counsellor, Embassy of Sweden in Kenya.
“Africa has a lot of natural resources available. We as Africans need to harness our vast access to renewable energy. Each one of us needs to drive sustainable development of our countries. To date, Strathmore Energy Research Centre has trained over 5,000 renewable energy experts who have become agents of change in Africa.” ~ Prof. Izael Da Silva, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation, Strathmore University.
This inaugural session marks the beginning of a broader journey. The second cohort is scheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt, from 15 to 19 December 2025, extending the training to more than 80 decision-makers from over 45 countries. And this is just the beginning — next year, AFREC plans to expand these efforts to reach even more Member States, institutions, and practitioners across the continent. The programme will also be complemented by open online offerings via AFREC’s Capacity-Building Information System (e-learning platform) to broaden access and sustain cross-border skills sharing.
Article written by: Anne Njoroge