KAMPALA, UGANDA – 1.2 billion people currently live without access to electricity and more than 2.7 billion people are without clean cooking facilities.
With over 95% of these people located either in sub-Saharan Africa or developing Asia, clearly there exists a vast gap which must be closed. But how?
The 18th annual Africa Energy Forum (AEF) will take place from 22-24 June 2016, to try to uncover solutions to Africa’s energy deficit and present opportunities which will drive project investment on the continent, acting as a catalyst for economic development.
AEF is the global investment meeting for Africa’s power, energy, infrastructure & industrial sectors, expected to welcome 1,000 investors, 500 public sector stakeholders, 300 technology providers, 270 developers and 70 countries in June later this year. Widely regarded as the most important networking event of the year for Africa’s energy community, global investors attend to collectively find solutions to the challenges currently limiting the development of Africa’s power sector.
The conference will include country and regional focus sessions, panels on mergers & acquisitions, the impact of COP21 & COP22 on investment, off grid solutions, and discussions which will explore the relationship between Africa and countries such as the UK, USA and China. The Forum also features a buzzing exhibition of over 80 solution providers who supply to the African continent.
125 speakers have confirmed to date including several from the East Africa region, such as: Brigadier General Emeldah Chola, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Water Development, Zambia, Benon Mutambi, Chief Executive Officer, Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), Uganda, Jéroboam Nzikobanyanka, Chief Executive Officer, REDIGESO, Burundi and Joshua Kibet Choge, Chairman, KenGen, Kenya.
This year sees the Forum hosted in London for the first time – at the new London Intercontinental O2 overlooking the skyscrapers of the Canary Wharf and the majestic River Thames. The decision to move the Forum to the UK this year was taken to capitalise on the investment potential of the United Kingdom and promote the strong trade relationship between the UK and Africa.
Shiddika Mohamed, Group Director, commented, “We are very excited to bring AEF to London. The theme of the Forum this year is ‘Mergers and Acquisitions’, so being in London, the world’s finance capital, will enable Africa’s growing number of power developers to showcase their businesses to decision makers of the world’s most prolific investment organisations from around the globe.
New for this year will be the Growing Economies Energy Forum (GEEF), running alongside the Africa Energy Forum. GEEF will host a day of open discussions between the governments and private sector from new energy markets such as Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar and Peru, as these growing economies open up for international investment following political and economic developments.
The EnergyNet Student Engagement Initiative will once again bring 50 talented African students to the Forum from relevant disciplines to build relationships with industry leaders in the power sector.
The conference and exhibition will see the return of a mobile networking app to assist delegates with networking. 70% of attendees used the app in June 2015, with 1,900 messages exchanged and nearly 200 meetings arranged.
An evening concert will also take place for delegates, bringing together some of the biggest bands in the UK as well as incredible African musicians from across the continent. This Festival of Energy will shine a light on energy access and the importance of ‘commercial trade’ reaching millions of people far beyond the grid.
The Africa Energy Forum is open to c-suite investors and developers with a vested interest in Africa’s energy and industrial sectors.
Source: Business Week

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