Africa’s Energy Efficiency Agenda gains momentum at the inaugural African Energy Efficiency Conference
The first African Energy Efficiency Conference in Addis Ababa held from 8-11 December 2025 was a landmark moment for Africa’s clean energy future. Hosted by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia at the African Union Headquarters, convened by the African Energy Commission (AFREC) under the African Energy Efficiency Alliance, and supported by a wide array of continental and international partners, the conference brought together governments, regional power pools, financiers and development partners to drive bold, implementation focused action on energy efficiency across the continent.
The conference focused on advancing practical pathways to scale energy efficiency across Africa, with strong emphasis on implementation, financing and institutional coordination. Discussions highlighted the need to strengthen national policy frameworks, improve measurement, reporting and verification systems, and align energy efficiency efforts with broader power sector reforms, regional market integration and infrastructure development to unlock investment and deliver system-wide impact.
Photo copyrights: AFREC & Energy Commission of Nigeria
Within this context, the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) played an active role by supporting AUDA-NEPAD‘s session on the Africa Ten-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan (TYIIP) for Cross-Border Interconnectivity. TYIIP is a legacy document from the G20 South African presidency. The discussion was moderated by Dr Towela Nyirenda-Jere, Head of the AEEP Secretariat and supported by AEEP’s Energy Policy Advisor, Mr Peter Kinuthia. The session examined how strengthened interconnectivity, regional power trade and grid modernisation under the TYIIP can contribute to improved energy efficiency, while reinforcing the Africa Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), Mission 300 and the Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP).
Alongside the conference sessions, AEEP participated in a dedicated consultation meeting with AFREC on the Africa Energy Efficiency Facility (AfEEF), a continental initiative led by the African Union to mobilise financing, harmonise approaches and scale up energy efficiency investments across Africa. The consultation focused on alignment, coordination and pathways for structured collaboration in support of implementation.
The strong political engagement, technical depth and alignment across initiatives underscored growing momentum for energy efficiency in Africa, and AEEP remains excited to continue supporting partners in translating this momentum into action.
