Some renewable energy associations have called for stronger collaboration among industry stakeholders to build a more coordinated and effective African renewable energy market.
They made the call at a news conference in Lagos on Thursday, ahead of the Renewable Energy Forum Africa (REFA) 2026, scheduled for Nov. 25 and 26 in Lagos.
The forum is organised by the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).
Mr Lamide Niyi-Afuye, Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Mini-grid Developers Association (AMDA), said that collaboration among associations was essential to addressing shared industry challenges and expanding access to electricity.
He said that Africa’s renewable energy ambition should go beyond providing electricity connections to supporting economic growth, industrialisation and job creation.
Niyi-Afuye explained that reliable electricity would enable farmers to process and preserve produce, help businesses increase production and improve access to healthcare, education and digital services.
He said that the success of Africa’s energy transition should be measured not only by the number of people connected to electricity but also by jobs created, businesses supported, incomes improved and economic value generated.
He noted that national grids, mini-grids, standalone systems and other distributed renewable energy solutions all had important roles to play, depending on local needs, affordability and available economic opportunities.
Also speaking, Mr Benjamin Clarke, Director of Operations at AFSIA, said that collaboration among developers, equipment manufacturers, governments, regulators, financial institutions and industry associations was necessary to make renewable energy projects attractive to investors.
He said that the stakeholders had complementary roles in developing investment-friendly policies, providing funding and ensuring that decisions reflected market realities.
Clarke said that collaboration among industry associations had contributed to the development of Nigeria’s mini-grid regulations, adding that mini-grids were increasingly recognised as essential infrastructure rather than temporary solutions.
He said that Nigeria’s longstanding electricity deficit required stakeholders to explore different approaches to expanding supply.
Miss Esther Eyenobong, Senior Sales Manager, West Africa, at Jinko Solar, said that about 86 million Nigerians still lacked access to electricity.
She said that the company was introducing modern solar technology designed to meet the country’s energy needs.
