Driving Africa’s Energy Transition: Key Outcomes from the 5th AU Specialised Technical Committee on Transport and Energy

The 5th Ordinary Session of the AU Specialised Technical Committee on Transport and Energy (STC-T&E), held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 27–30 April 2026, marked a defining moment in Africa’s continental energy agenda. Convened under the theme “The Africa We Build: Transport and Energy as Catalysts for Africa’s Prosperity,” the Session brought together ministers and senior technical experts to advance implementation across the continent’s priority energy programmes — reflecting Africa’s decisive shift from policy formulation toward coordinated delivery and investment mobilization. Among the key outcomes, ministers approved the African Energy Transition Strategy and Action Plan (ETSAP), advanced the operationalization of the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), and endorsed new continental frameworks on nuclear energy, green hydrogen, energy security, clean cooking, and the digital-energy nexus.

The session noted the new AEEP governance structure and endorsed African representation in the Steering Group by members of the STC Bureau. Participants welcomed progress under the Continental Energy Programme for Africa (CEPA) and the ENGAGE Programme as strategic mechanisms supporting AfSEM, renewable energy deployment, and regional electricity market development. As a core partner within this coordinated framework, AEEP’s mandate to strengthen Africa-EU cooperation on sustainable energy access, transition, and investment was reaffirmed at the continent’s highest ministerial level. The Session concluded with a collective call for enhanced institutional coordination, strengthened partnerships, and increased public and private sector investment to accelerate Africa’s energy transition and long-term energy security under Agenda 2063.