International Solar Alliance and African Leaders Unite in Accra to Chart Pathways for Africa’s Solar Future

The Seventh Meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Regional Committee for Africa began on Wednesday in Accra, Ghana, marking a new epoch of transformative action in the continent’s solar transition and sustainable energy development. The event gathered Member Countries from across Africa and international partners to discuss actionable strategies for energy access, solar innovation, and climate-resilient growth.

Hon Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Ghana, and Chair of the Seventh Meeting of the Regional Committee for Africa, stated in his address that expanding solar capacity is not only an environmental necessity but also a significant socio-economic opportunity. “Advancing Africa’s energy transition is central to sustainable growth and shared prosperity,” he said.

“About 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity. Africa represents 17% of the world’s population, yet consumes just 4% of the world’s energy. Bridging this gap is our collective opportunity: transforming pipeline projects into bankable ones, providing low-risk premiums, and attracting greater private capital,” he added, expressing Ghana’s commitment to working closely with every member state to ensure that energy aspirations translate into financed projects on the ground. Ghana and Seychelles serve as vice presidents of the ISA in the African Region.

Ghana’s Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, emphasised that economic growth should rely on a dependable, clean, and sustainable energy supply. Speaking about the importance of collaborative efforts in the transition to clean energy, he stated, “Partnerships formed at events like this can play a crucial role in harnessing this potential. With adequate financing and strategic collaborations, we can achieve Africa’s goal of exceeding the current 2% threshold of global clean energy investment. Ghana is ready to take action and set an example that we all deserve.”

In recent decades, most electricity connections in sub-Saharan Africa have come from solar power and other renewable energy sources, according to Ms Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All. She stressed that solar is the fastest, least-cost path to reach the underserved.

“The average African, even when connected, uses about 400 kilowatt-hours of energy compared to 13,000 kilowatt-hours in the United States. This is unjust and cannot be part of our transition story. Africa must invest in Africa. Sovereign wealth institutes, pension funds, and local banks hold the capital to fund distributed renewable energy projects. Governments must streamline licenses and unlock tariffs to scale private sector participation,” she said.

Representing France, which shares co-presidency of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) with India, H.E. Jules Armand Beaussieux, the Ambassador of France to Ghana, emphasised that solar energy is essential for addressing climate change while also promoting industrial development, energy security, and job creation. “France is committed to supporting renewable energy in Africa through significant investments and collaboration with the ISA,” he said.

H.E. Mr Manish Gupta, the High Commissioner of India to Ghana, emphasised India’s commitment to sustainable energy. He stated, “India’s vision of ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ aligns with energy transition strategies aimed at providing clean and reliable energy to millions. We are supporting various initiatives, including distributed solar projects, solar home lighting, solar water pumps, clean cooking solutions, and healthcare applications.”

In his inaugural address, ISA Director General Mr Ashish Khanna emphasised that access to energy is a fundamental human right. He pointed out the significant gap in clean energy investment in Africa compared to global standards. “ISA’s strategy, ‘Moving from Ambition to Action,’ aims to establish implementation partnerships, innovate financing methods, and strengthen local capacities. The ISA strategy of implementation partnership is aligned with M300 enabling private sector ecosystem in countries. Our goal is to empower countries to develop their own solutions,” he stated. The Director General also mentioned that ISA will engage in in-depth discussions to outline actionable steps for each Member Country in the region.

Key Outcomes and Announcements

1. Country Partnership Frameworks (CPF):
● Ghana, Nigeria, and The Gambia formalised CPFs with ISA to align solar policies with national energy goals. These frameworks focus on solar rooftops, community mini-grids, agriculture-driven applications, institutional capacity building, and National Focal Point Support Units for implementation.
● Memorandum of Cooperation with African School of Regulation: The partnership strengthens solar deployment through regulatory development, capacity building, knowledge exchange, and funding mobilisation for member countries.
2. Solar for Agriculture:
● Initiatives across Africa, such as solar-powered irrigation and agricultural applications, aim to enhance productivity, food security, and rural livelihoods. Expanding solar-powered irrigation and cold storage could help reduce Africa’s annual food import bill of USD 400 billion, create rural jobs, and strengthen climate resilience.
3. ISA Alignment with Mission 300: ISA has aligned itself strategically with Mission 300, an initiative aimed at accelerating solar deployment, encouraging private investment, and improving livelihoods across the continent. “Programs like Mission 300, supported by $48 billion in concessional funding, demonstrate the power of public-private partnerships to electrify 300 million Africans,” said Ogunbiyi.
4. Africa Solar Facility:
● ISA’s Africa Solar Facility managed by Africa50 is designed as a catalytic instrument to de-risk investments and unlock private capital for solar across the continent. Leveraging $200 million in catalytic finance, the facility is expected to mobilise over 20 times in private sector investments in decentralised renewable energy. NSIA of Nigeria has committed $100–150 million in sovereign wealth to the initiative, which will become operational before the end of the year.
5. Digital Transformation in Energy Sector:
● ISA is advancing AI-driven tools and digital twins of power distribution systems—virtual models that map every asset and process within a utility. These tools help identify inefficiencies, improve dispatch of rooftop solar, storage, and utility-scale plants, and ultimately lower costs while enhancing reliability.
6. Global South and Inclusive Development:
● Africa’s energy transition is being led by African countries, with support from ISA as a Global South-led institution. The emphasis is on equitable access, local capacity building through a network of Solar Application Resource Centres (STAR-Cs), and innovative technologies to ensure no community is left behind.

During the opening ceremony of the Africa Regional Committee Meeting, Hon’ble Seth Terkper, the economic advisor to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, highlighted Africa’s energy potential. He stated, “Africa has an extraordinary opportunity to harness its abundant solar resources to drive economic growth, create jobs, and improve energy access for millions. Strategic partnerships, capacity building, and innovative financing models are critical to accelerating solar adoption.”

He said, “With nearly 60% of the world’s best solar resources, Africa can leapfrog traditional energy pathways and become a global leader in distributed renewable energy solutions.”

About the ISA Regional Committee for the Africa Region

The Regional Committees of the ISA meet annually, chaired by two Vice Presidents from the Region, and aim 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. A significant goal of the Regional Committee Meetings is smooth coordination among the Region’s Member Countries. At present, the Africa Region hosts 39 Member Countries and 07 Signatory Countries.

About the International Solar Alliance

The International Solar Alliance is a global initiative launched in 2015 by India and France at COP21 in Paris. It has 124 Member and Signatory Countries. The Alliance works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promotes solar power as a sustainable transition to a clean energy future. ISA’s mission is to unlock investments in solar energy while reducing the cost of technology and financing it. It promotes the use of solar energy in agriculture, healthcare, transportation, and power generation sectors.

ISA Member Countries are driving change by enacting policies and regulations, sharing best practices, agreeing on common standards, and mobilising investments. Through this work, ISA has identified, designed and tested new business models for solar projects; supported governments to make their energy legislation and policies solar friendly through Ease of Doing Solar analytics and advisory; pooled demand for solar technology from different countries; and drove down costs; improved access to finance by reducing the risks and making the sector more attractive to private investment; increased access to solar training, data and insights for solar engineers and energy policymakers.

With its advocacy for solar-powered solutions, ISA aims to transform lives, bring clean, reliable, and affordable energy to communities worldwide, fuel sustainable growth, and improve quality of life.

On 6 December 2017, 15 countries signed and ratified the ISA Framework Agreement, making ISA the first international intergovernmental organisation headquartered in India. ISA is partnering with multilateral development banks (MDBs), development financial institutions (DFIs), private and public sector organisations, civil society, and other international institutions to deploy cost-effective and transformational solutions through solar energy, especially in the least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS).