ETA Analysis delivers in-depth analysis of Africa’s energy transition, energy policy, and political economy. This section examines the forces shaping power, resources, and decision-making — from fossil fuel phase-out pathways and critical minerals to climate finance and governance reform. Grounded in evidence and regional context, these analyses connect policy, politics, and economics to reveal what Africa’s energy transition really means for communities, governments, and the continent’s future.
87 articles found
France pledged €23 billion at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, even as its aid budget faces repeated cuts. Vincent Egoro examines what Africa’s push for sovereignty, beneficiation, and financing reform means ahead of the G7 summit in Évian.
Zambia supplies copper critical to the energy transition, yet drought-driven outages exposed the fragility of the grid powering its mining economy. Chisha Chisha and Precious Mwansa-Chisha on why mineral and energy policy are now inseparable.
Europe is considering easing methane rules under energy security pressure after a study found 43% of EU gas imports could fail compliance from 2027. African LNG exporters, however, still face the full cost of the regulation, exposing how climate rules become flexible for powerful economies and rigid
The IEA gathered Western governments and mining giants in Brussels to discuss critical minerals stockpiling. No African government was in the room, despite Africa supplying many of the resources at the centre of the strategy.
A new UN University report documents 456 billion litres of water consumed extracting lithium in 2024, river contamination in the DRC's cobalt belt, and 700 million tonnes of mining waste generated by rare earth production.
The Lobito Corridor is attracting $3–5 billion in financing and political backing from the US, EU, and AfDB. It is also running behind schedule, competing with a Chinese-backed alternative, and still designed primarily as an export route rather than a value capture platform.
A new OECD report shows Africa's critical minerals leverage is concentrated in cobalt and manganese, and that the export restriction strategy African governments are deploying is losing distinctiveness as more countries adopt the same tool.
Only seven African governments are in Santa Marta. Their presence and the absence of most others reveal how Africa’s energy future is being negotiated.
Global energy investment reaches $3.3 trillion in 2025. Africa gets 2%. But 80% of announced African energy projects never reach financial close, Chinese DFI spending has fallen 85%, and bankability conditions are absent in most markets. ETA maps why the money doesn't arrive.
Africa has power, but it is too expensive to use, as tariffs rise, utilities struggle, and high financing costs limit what the energy transition can deliver.
Africa’s digital economy runs on diesel, with telecom towers and data centres heavily dependent on fossil fuel, driving costs and exposing a critical infrastructure gap.
At TED Vancouver, Vincent Egoro reflects on Africa’s energy transition, where systems are installed but often fail because the people to run them are missing.