IRENA runs Francophone Africa workshop

The International Renewable Energy Agency said on September 8 it held a workshop for Francophone Africa focused on structuring renewable-energy financing proposals and mobilising local capital, part of a broader push to raise Africa’s share of global clean-energy investment. The agency said the sessions centered on practical project-development and finance skills aimed at helping participants prepare proposals that can attract domestic investors. IRENA has repeatedly said Africa has received less than 2% of global renewable-energy investment over the past two decades, despite large solar, wind and hydropower resources. ### Why is IRENA focusing on financing skills instead of just technology? IRENA’s own Africa program says the continent’s renewable potential is not the main constraint; securing funding is. The agency says Africa is rich in renewable resources and critical minerals, but that financing is essential to build infrastructure and expand a sustainable energy mix. The September 8 workshop reflects that emphasis. (irena.org) Rather than focusing only on resource assessments or technology choices, the training was framed around how to structure financing proposals and present projects in a way local capital providers can evaluate, according to IRENA’s statement on the event. ### What does the “less than 2%” figure actually tell us? (irena.org) IRENA said in an April 2024 article that Africa received less than 2% of global investments in renewable energy over the past two decades. A 2022 IRENA-African Development Bank market analysis used similar language, saying only 2% of global renewable-energy investments in the last two decades were made in Africa. (irena.org) That figure has become a shorthand for the continent’s financing gap. IRENA’s 2024 report on Sub-Saharan Africa says the agency is examining investment, finance and policy trends specifically to unlock renewable deployment, while its broader finance work argues that the energy transition depends not only on capital volumes but on getting that capital into projects that can be financed. (irena.org) ### Why target Francophone Africa in particular? IRENA’s recent work has given special attention to Francophone West Africa. A July 2026 IRENA report said the subregion faces a dual challenge of rising climate risks and persistent gaps in electricity access and service quality, and examined how decentralized renewable energy can support essential services. (irena.org) That context helps explain the workshop’s focus on bankable projects and local capital. In markets where access gaps, currency risk, smaller project sizes or weaker project-preparation capacity can deter outside investors, better-structured proposals can matter as much as the underlying technology mix. That is an inference drawn from IRENA’s regional finance and investment publications, which stress policy, project preparation and financing conditions alongside resource potential. (irena.org) ### What does “mobilising local capital” mean in practice? IRENA’s finance and investment work says the transition will require large cumulative investment and an enabling environment that allows capital to be deployed. Its data platform on renewable-energy finance flows tracks commitments across instruments and technologies, while its finance pages emphasize the role of policy frameworks and market conditions in attracting funding. (irena.org) In practical terms, mobilising local capital usually means preparing projects so they can be assessed by domestic banks, pension funds, public financial institutions or local investment vehicles, rather than relying only on international concessional finance. IRENA’s project-facilitation and partnership work in Africa, including regional investment initiatives, is built around that idea of turning project concepts into investable pipelines. (irena.org) ### Where does this fit in IRENA’s wider Africa agenda? IRENA’s regional publications over the past three years have consistently linked African renewable deployment to financing reform, project preparation and regional investment pipelines. Its October 2023 brief on West Africa set out recommendations for scaling up renewable-energy investments, and its 2024 Sub-Saharan Africa report focused on policy and finance barriers to deployment. (irena.org) The next places to watch are IRENA’s Africa program pages, finance data tools and regional investment initiatives, which the agency uses to publish follow-up reports, country work and project-facilitation efforts tied to renewable-energy investment in Africa. (irena.org 1) (irena.org 2)