AEEP Gathers High-Level Stakeholders in Berlin to Discuss Key Framework Conditions for Accelerating SDG7 in Africa
On 19 March 2025, on the sidelines of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue and in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Secretariat of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) organised a high-level policymakers’ dialogue to discuss how to improve framework conditions to mobilise funding for energy development in Africa.
Held in Berlin, Germany, the meeting convened high-level representatives from Africa and Europe under the theme “Strengthening Framework Conditions for SDG7 Acceleration in Africa Through Public Finance & Private Sector Mobilisation”. Under the moderation of AEEP’s Head of Secretariat, Towela Nyirenda-Jere, the event built on discussions facilitated by AEEP at the African Energy Summit on 26 January 2025 in Dar Es Salaam, and the AEEP Forum on 6 March 2025 at the Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa.
Participants highlighted that, despite numerous pledges and commitments to support clean energy access in Africa, investment levels remain dramatically low. To unlock these investments, de-risking mechanisms and supportive frameworks are therefore essential. Key actions include opening markets to the private sector and introducing least-cost expansion planning with cost-reflective tariffs to increase creditworthiness of utilities which are encompassed in the Mission 300 initiative. Recognising that the global community, including Europe, stands to benefit from Africa’s renewable energy development in its decarbonisation efforts, participants cautioned against overemphasising risks or placing excessive pressure on African governments to implement reforms that could slow progress.
While capacity building is vital for creating favourable investment conditions, concerns were raised about lack of sustainability in the current model. More effective capacity building with technology and knowledge transfer linked to project preparation and implementation is necessary for tangible progress.
Participants also agreed that the discussion on energy access in Africa should be broadened to include aspects such as clean cooking, an area that remains significantly underfunded despite being highlighted as a priority for African countries. Additionally, participants stressed the importance of raising the bar on what constitutes “sufficient access” to energy, and to incorporate access in a broader framework that includes job creation, socio-economic development, and renewables-based industrialisation. The affordability of energy for end-users is directly linked to incomes, thus pointing to an opportunity to fund access through jobs and opportunities stimulated by increasing local value creation of green technologies.
These are all areas where a win-win collaboration with Europe has been identified as key to achieving Africa’s energy goals. While the public sector can offer concessional finance, capacity building, and de-risking mechanisms to attract private investments, European companies can also play an active role. Moreover, discussions on industrialisation strategies and competitiveness in Africa can benefit from European experiences and will be the topic of the next AEEP dialogue event.
