From 20–23 October 2025, Accra, Ghana hosted the Africa Energy Efficiency Policy in Emerging Economies Training Week, the flagship capacity-building event of the International Energy Agency (IEA) dedicated to building capacity among policymakers. This year’s regional edition focused on accelerating Africa’s clean energy transition and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.

The EELA Programme was strongly represented, with four team members actively contributing to panels and presentations during both the plenary session and a dedicated session on energy efficiency in industry. Their participation underscored EELA’s commitment to fostering collaboration with stakeholders and shaping policy frameworks across the continent.

Key Highlights from EELA’s Engagement

Energy Efficiency for Affordability
Denis Ariho, Technical Lead Expert at EACREEE, joined a high-level panel moderated by Melanie Slade to discuss affordability. Ariho stressed the critical role of regulations, standards, and government incentives in making energy-efficient products accessible. He showcased EELA’s work on Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and called for stronger capacity building, including integrating energy efficiency into school curricula and fostering academia-industry partnerships to drive job creation.

Clean Cooking for All
Mawufemo Modjinou, Technical Lead at ECREEE, highlighted the importance of institutional frameworks for scaling clean cooking solutions. He presented ECREEE’s efforts under the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Policy (EREP) and Energy Efficiency Policy (EEEP), aiming to achieve 48% renewable energy in the electricity mix by 2030. Modjinou also emphasized the need for harmonized standards and innovative financing to overcome adoption barriers, while showcasing bioenergy policies and clean cooking technologies developed with regional stakeholders.

Skills for the Green Transition
Readlay Makaliki, Lead Technical Expert at SACREEE, spoke on the “Energy Transition Jobs and Skills” panel, spotlighting EELA’s E-learning platform as a cornerstone for capacity building. He outlined emerging skill requirements—digitalization, data analysis, automation programming, and sustainable engineering design—and shared SACREEE’s initiatives to empower entrepreneurs through specialized training programs like Integrated Resource Planning and Storage Systems.

Digital Tools for Knowledge Dissemination

Finally, Ndivhuho Tshikovhi presented EELA’s E-learning platform during the session on Energy Efficiency Policy Packages, demonstrating how digital tools are driving knowledge dissemination and policy implementation. Tshikovhi announced the upcoming industrial motors module, reinforcing EELA’s role in strengthening technical expertise across Africa.

The Africa Energy Efficiency Policy in Emerging Economies Training Week in Accra was co-hosted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition of Ghana and organized in partnership with the African Energy Commission (AFREC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Since 2015, the IEA training weeks have equipped over 3,000 government officials from more than 125 countries with the tools to design and implement effective energy efficiency policies.