By Nkeletsang Morapedi— Africa is boldly expanding its footprint along the energy transition path, harnessing collaborative platforms that unite governments, development partners, financiers, businesses, and civil society to fast-track knowledge sharing, advocacy, and investment across the continent. In a decisive move to further this agenda, the African Energy Commission (AFREC) is set to host the inaugural African Energy Efficiency Conference (AfEEC) on 10–11 December 2025 in Addis Ababa, under the framework of the African Energy Efficiency Alliance, launched at COP29. The event is designed to be a premier continental platform to advance energy efficiency as a catalyst for economic growth, sustainable development, and climate action across Africa.
The conference will be preceded by specialized training sessions on 8–9 December, which will see the formal operationalisation of the African Energy Efficiency Alliance, a collaborative initiative uniting stakeholders from government, development partners, financiers, businesses, and civil society to drive knowledge sharing, advocacy, and investment. According to a press release issued by AFREC, Mr. Rashid Ali Abdallah, Executive Director of AFREC says
“Energy efficiency is Africa’s primary resource for sustainable development. It lowers emissions, cuts costs, and drives inclusive growth,” adding that
“This conference will bring together the partnerships, expertise, and funding Africa requires to meet its energy efficiency targets.”
Africa faces a dual challenge: providing universal access to modern energy while responding to the climate crisis. Nearly 600 million people still lack electricity, and close to one billion people lack access to clean cooking services. At the same time, population growth, rapid urbanization, and industrialization are driving unprecedented demand for energy. The AfEEC comes on the heels of the adoption of the African Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan (AfEES), endorsed by the African Union Executive Council earlier this year. AfEES outlines over 100 targeted actions across power, industry, transport, buildings, and agriculture, positioning Africa to improve energy productivity by 50% by 2050 and 70% by 2063. The conference will convene African Ministers, international partners, business leaders, and technical experts for a series of high-impact sessions, including:
Ministerial panels to discuss policies, regulations, and governance frameworks
Technical sessions showcasing innovative technologies and solutions
Investment forums aimed at unlocking funding for efficiency projects
Networking events for cross-sector collaboration and partnership building
The objective is to generate actionable commitments and accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition while providing an enabling environment for both public and private investment. In the release AFREC called on all stakeholders; governments, development partners, investors, and private sector actors to support the conference and help advance energy efficiency initiatives across the continent. The AfEEC according to the release is poised to be a game-changer, laying the foundation for Africa’s transition to a sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient energy future.