Stakeholders in the continent’s energy sector will converge on Accra to discuss practical ways to catalyse solar finance, enhance institutional capacity and foster innovation to accelerate solar energy deployment to achieve universal energy access.

The stakeholders, including government officials from member countries of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), financiers, innovators, technical experts and non-governmental organisations, are expected to participate in the regional committee meeting, which would feature high-level dialogues, technical sessions and side events to facilitate discussions on solar energy initiatives.

With 124 members and signatory countries, the ISA, a global initiative launched in 2015 by India and France at COP21 in Paris, works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promotes solar power as a sustainable transition to a clean energy future.

Its mission is to unlock investments in solar energy, while reducing the cost of technology and financing it.

The Africa Region of the ISA currently hosts 39 member countries and 07 signatory countries.

Delegates from these countries would also participate in the conference.

Conference

The ISA Regional Committee for the Africa Region, which would commence on September 2, 2025 and end on September 4, 2025, seeks to assess and discuss progress, challenges and opportunities related to ISA's programmatic support, flagship initiatives, partnerships, private sector engagements and work plan for the region.

Key areas would include enhancing institutional capacity and creating jobs through initiatives such as Solar Technology Application Resource Centres (STAR-C) and partnerships with educational institutions, addressing agricultural challenges by promoting solar-powered solutions for irrigation and storage to improve food security and market access.

Others are introducing financing instruments such as a $200 million Africa Solar Facility and a Multi-Donor Trust Fund of $25 million to de-risk investments and mobilise capital, as well as the role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in transforming the energy sector for efficient solar deployment.

Situation

In a statement ahead of the conference, the Director General, ISA, Ashish Khanna, explained that Africa currently received less than two per cent of global clean energy investments, as over 600 million people remained without electricity despite the continent’s vast solar potential.

At the Regional Committee Meeting in Accra, he said his outfit aimed to foster catalytic finance, institutional resilience, digital innovation and cross-sector integration, directly supporting the Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Agreement goals.

The partnerships and roadmaps forged in Accra, he said, would be instrumental in translating Africa’s solar potential into sustainable, inclusive growth.

 “We are moving from ambition to action— partnering platforms such as Mission 300, bringing together governments, financiers, innovators and partners to unlock private sector-led solar investments, strengthen policies and institutions and build local capacity,” he said.