Africa's Big Switch (ABS): Recent Episodes
Bolaji Akinola-Alli
Modern society depends on reliable and affordable energy services to function smoothly and to develop equitably. A well-established energy system supports all sectors from medicine and education to agriculture, infrastructure, communications and high-technology. [1]However, according to the International Energy Agency, there are over 770 million people in the world today without access to electricity, 77% of which are in Sub-saharan Africa. {2]The Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the UN Agenda, aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. Given we are only a few years to 2030, we explore the progress, challenges and opportunities for achieving this goal across the African continent. References:[1] https://sdgcompass.org/sdgs/sdg-7/[2] https://www.iea.org/reports/sdg7-data-and-projections/access-to-electricity
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On this episode of ABS, we sat down with Toni Sanni, Head Corporate Finance and Venture Capital at the Emerging Africa Group.
The Emerging Africa Group is an ESG-focused organization that partners with investors to bridge Africa's financial gap and support sustainable development. With over $1 billion raised, it offers financing and advisory services across sectors like investment banking, fintech, and infrastructure.
Toni Sanni is an accomplished financial services expert with experience in Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Investment Banking. At Emerging Africa Group, Toni leads a team of experts and drives Venture Capital and Advisory businesses. She holds degrees from the University of Bristol and the London School of Economics and has worked at Verod Capital and Mediterrania Capital Partners, focusing on major capital transactions in emerging markets.
On this episode, we explore:
- Toni's background and experience
- Goals and mission of the Emerging Africa Group
- What it means to be an ESG focused investment group
- Challenges and solutions of building in the African investment ecosystem
Join us as we delve into Toni's remarkable journey and her impact on Africa's investment sector on Africa’s Big Switch.
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On this episode of ABS, we sat down with Richard Chongo, the Country Director of Opportunity International Malawai. Opportunity International is a global network of over 40 organizations, primarily microfinance institutions, helping millions of families in over 20 countries across Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America to lift themselves out of poverty. Funded by support members in countries like Australia, Canada, Germany, and the USA, these organizations provide small loans and financial aid to those in need. A leadership forum fosters collaboration and innovation across the network to maximize their impact worldwide.
Richard Chongo specializes in managing transformative programs around agriculture, finance, youth, development and gender equality.
On this episode, we explore:
- Richard’s journey at Opportunity International and what Opportunity International is
- The kinds of technology Opportunity International has provided?
- Engagement with the farmers
- Future opportunities for Opportunity International
Join us as we delve into Richard’s remarkable journey and his impact on the Agricultural sector.
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On this episode of ABS, we sat down with Delz Erinle, the Founder and Product Lead of Agrify. Agrify focuses on decarbonizing the agricultural value chain through regenerative intelligence and carbon microfinance, aiming to improve farmer resilience and farmer incomes.
Delz is an innovator with expertise in Economics and Product Design as well as master’s degrees in Marketing Management, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He also founded and leads Astra, which pioneers a new way to design clothes using AI and discover them in virtual reality.
On this episode, we explore:
- Delz's background and tech journey
- The challenges experienced at Agrify
- Success stories at Agrify
- The benefits of AI to the farmers
Join us as we delve into Delz's remarkable journey and his impact on the Agricultural sector.
This is Africa’s Big Switch.
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On this episode of ABS, we sit down with Alberta Asafo-Asamoah, the Co-Founder of Liquify, an invoice financing platform connecting African SME's to global capital markets.
Alberta started in corporate banking in Europe before moving to impact investing and entrepreneurship. In 2018, she founded AlgebraInTheCity, an educational support organization to provide quality education to underserved communities. Alberta completed her MBA at Imperial College Business School and has obtained the 2021 Edie Hunt inspiration Award, and was a nominee for the Women of the Future award.
We cover the following topics on this episode:
- Alberta's background and personality
- The journey of building Liquify and how invoice financing works
- The opportunities and challenges of invoice financing
- The business partnerships and success stories at Liquify
Join us as we delve into Alberta's remarkable journey and her impact on Africa's SME sector on Africa’s Big Switch.
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On this episode of ABS, we sit down with Joe Kinvi, the Founder of PLTFM, a multi-asset investment platform for Africa and Africans in the Diaspora. He also leads HoaQ, an investor community with over 100 investments across Africa and its Diaspora.
Before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey, Joe was an experienced operator with a background in finance, mergers and acquisitions, business development, and partnerships. Joe has held key positions such as Head of Finance at Touchtech Payments (acquired by Stripe), Growth Lead at Stripe, and Partnerships Lead at Paystack.
In this episode, we explore:
- Joe's passion, background, and personality
- The importance of building investment communities for Africa
- The journey of PLTFM
- Overcoming challenges and the future vision for PLTFM
Join us as we delve into Joe's remarkable journey and his transformative impact on Africa's investment sector on Africa’s Big Switch.
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On this episode of ABS, we sit down with Abiola Adebiyi, the Founder of Elevate Development Foundation (EDF). EDF is a youth-led NGO focused on educating, enlightening, and empowering vulnerable Nigerians in underserved communities.
Abiola, a forensic accountant with a master's degree in sustainable development from the University of Sussex, advocates for public policies grounded in equity and justice to transform Nigeria, especially for its underserved populations. Through social impact initiatives, leadership, mentorship, and public speaking, she empowers the youth to become agents of community change. At just 16, she founded EDF to guide the youth in slum communities toward economic prosperity, impacting over 7,000 individuals by improving education and addressing unemployment.
In this episode, we explore:
- Abiola's passion, background, and personality
- The importance of SDG4 and why she focuses on education
- The inception and journey of the Elevate Development Foundation
- Managing a volunteer-based organization
- Overcoming challenges in running EDF
- The future vision for EDF
Join us as we delve into Abiola’s remarkable journey and her transformative impact on Nigeria's education sector on Africa’s Big Switch.
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On this episode of ABS, we sat down with Dammy Feyide, the Founder of Theo by LISA, a digital learning solution for children in public primary schools and remote areas.
Dammy is also the Team Lead of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development at ProvidusBank, the Founder & CEO of Let it Shine Academy, and the Proprietress & Executive Director of Let it Shine Secondary School.
Since graduating with an economics and business management degree from Sheffield University, Dammy has devoted her life to addressing educational access issues and child development challenges. She is also a published author and a scholar of Child Rights and education reform.
We cover the following themes on this episode:
- Understanding LISA’s journey, mission, and operating model for delivering free education in Lagos.
- Getting to know Dammy, her passion, ambition, and personality.
- What is Theo and who is it built for?
- The future of LISA - Did you know they are building a school?
Join us as we explore Dammy's remarkable journey and her impact on Nigeria's education sector.
This is Africa’s Big Switch.
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On this episode of Africa's Big Switch Podcast, hosts Hassana, Joshua, Beatrice, and Bolaji reflect on the 14 episodes released so far.
They discuss the progress that has been made and give insights into the future direction of the podcast.
The conversation takes on a more casual and chat-like tone rather than a formal interview.
The hosts also take the opportunity to wish the listeners a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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On this episode of ABS, we sat down with Eder Munyampenda, the Rwanda Country Manager at Sawa Energy, a startup that empowers East Africa’s small and medium businesses by reducing electricity pricing and volatility.
Sawa Energy was founded by three environmentally and socially conscious entrepreneurs, who bring significant experience in solar, finance and business. Sawa Energy aims to become the largest private provider of solar power and seeks to deploy 50MW by 2030, supporting 1,000 clients.
Starting his career as a technical sales manager, Eder has since transitioned to be the Country Manager of Sawa Energy.
We cover the following themes on this episode:
- Understanding Sawa Energy's business model, its customer offerings and unique value proposition.
- The challenges faced by small and medium businesses in accessing affordable and reliable electricity in Rwanda.
- How Sawa Energy's solutions are addressing these challenges and making a positive impact.
- The future goals and expansion plans of Sawa Energy in the region.
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We had a conversation with Noelle Okwedy, the Energy Insights Lead at Stears, a startup focused on providing data and insights to professionals interested in the African continent.
Having worked in the Nigerian power sector after studying financial economics with econometrics at the University of Kent. Noelle is passionate about improving energy access in Africa.
We cover the following themes on this episode:
- The history and initial intention of the Nigerian government for providing fuel subsidy.
- The impact of fuel subsidy removal to the government's budget and the unwanted domino effects to the cost of living of Nigerians.
- Noelle's opinion on the approach to fuel subsidy removal and the need for improved budget planning and transparency.
- Potential solutions such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in transportation and the need for significant government infrastructure investment and policy, to attract investors.
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On this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Kelly-Ann Mealia, Chairperson and Co-Founder of Energy Capital & Power.
Kelly-Ann brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in facilitating financial investments in Africa, shedding light on the significant impact these gatherings have on promoting investment and forging strategic alliances in Africa's energy industry.
Since its conception in 2016, Energy Capital & Power has organised over twenty events around the world including in Houston, Washington D.C., London, Tripoli, Cape Town and Riyadh, working with the largest energy companies in the world.
During our conversation, we delve into the role of Energy Capital & Power as an international African investment platform including recent events and partnerships, from MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power conference to the groundbreaking South Sudan Oil & Power forum.
Tune in to this thought-provoking podcast episode to gain a deeper understanding of the investment landscape in the African energy sector.
Whether you are an industry professional, an investor, or simply someone interested in the sustainable development of Africa, this conversation with Kelly-Ann Mealia is not to be missed.
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We had a conversation with Natasha Ibori, the Co-founder of Uwana Energy, a clean energy management platform and marketplace, to help people seamlessly transition to clean, affordable energy.
Uwana Energy is an impact-driven entrepreneur committed to giving more people the freedom to do whatever they want.
Having worked in climate and finance across 4 continents, she is experienced in building holistic solutions. Natasha has assisted Growald Climate Fund in allocating $1bn in aligned funding for energy transition projects globally and has executed award-winning development initiatives with Access Bank Plc and PwC Nigeria.
We cover the following topics on this episode:
- An insight into Uwana Energy's pivot away from the provision of hardware products to the creation of an online solar marketplace.
- The need to understand the nuances in doing business across multiple parts of Nigeria e.g. the need for a physical office space.
- The realities of being an entrepreneur including the need to constantly learn new skills network and raise funding.
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We had a conversation with Chinenye Ajayi, an energy professional and commercial lawyer with over a decade worth of experience.
Chinenye is currently the Team Lead of the Power and Infrastructure Practice at Olaniwun Ajayi LP where she provides legal and business advisory services to clients within the energy sector, particularly in the renewable energy space.
Amongst other volunteer activities, Chinenye also serves as a co-ordinator of the African Fellowship of Young Energy Leaders (AFYEL), an education venture designed to invest into the next generation of energy leaders who will deliver sustainable access to energy and ultimately a zero carbon Africa. She also serves as the Vice Chair, Projects at the Energy Institute, Young Professionals Network, Nigeria.
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- The Nigeria Electricity Act 2023 which decentralises electricity regulation to the state level.
- An overview of the electricity value chain in Nigeria, along with the major stakeholders.
- Some identified opportunities to create new laws and regulation in areas such as the potential for trading renewable energy certificates.
- Chinenye's experience working as a lawyer within the energy sector, including key lessons for navigating the sector.
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We spoke with Edma Lawer, the founder and CEO of ELO Petroleum, an Oil and Gas service company that specialises is providing manpower and materials in the upstream sector in Ghana.
Edma also runs Youth Empowerment Wave Global (YEWGlobal), a Youth NGO that engages and inspires young people to use their skills to establish businesses for themselves.
After completing undergraduate and masters degrees in Oil and Gas Management and International Relations and Democratic Politics respectively, Edma relocated to Ghana to chase her dreams 5 years ago.
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- Edma’s experience with breaking into the Oil and Gas Industry in Ghana
- Services that ELO Petroleum provides and how they match talent with potential employers
- Some challenges associated with talent development and retention in Ghana and Africa as a whole
- Some of the most sought after skills (technical and non-technical) within the industry in Ghana
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A conversation with Hubert Waterinckx, a Social Development Specialist at the World Bank Group.
Hubert started his career as a Tax Lawyer in the Belgian Defence but has since transitioned into the realm of social development due his passion for sharing prosperity in Africa.
Since then, Hubert has worked on multiple large-scale infrastructure projects across Africa, from the West to the East of Africa. These projects span the health, education and of course energy sectors.
When not at the World Bank Group, you may find Hubert lecturing at Universite lumière de bujumbura ( ULBU).
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- Hubert's experience in delivering large-scale hydropower projects in Africa including the Kandadji project in Niger and the Jiji and Mulembwe project in Burundi.
- The value of being 'on the ground' in delivering projects in Africa.
- The Environmental and Social Framework of the world bank, which sets out the mandatory requirements of the Bank in relation to the projects it supports through Investment Project Financing .
- A day in the life of a Social Development Specialist at the World Bank Group.
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An exciting conversation with Bradley K. Poku-Amankwah , the acting Principal Coordinator at the Ghana Energy Transition Office.
The Ghana Energy Transition Office is a collaboration between the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All and the Government of Ghana based at the office of the President in Accra.
Prior to this, Bradley served as the Senior Technical Assistant to Ghana’s Minister for Energy, and was secretary to the country’s National Energy Transition Committee. He is also Ghana’s youngest Board Member of State Enterprise, and founder of play-it-forward Africa; a social enterprise using sports as a vehicle for impact in the health sector.
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- What a just energy transition could look like for Ghana.
- Some successful policies and strategies being used to tackle problems surrounding energy access, energy security and clean cooking.
- The value of stakeholder engagement in the policy making process.
- An insight into Ghana's energy transition framework including the potential for a carbon market.
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We had a great conversation with Pam Haigh, who is the UK General Manager at Ripple Africa.
Ripple Africa is a UK registered charity working to improve local environment, education and healthcare in Malawi, Africa. Operating at the grassroots level, involving the community in all aspects of its activity, Ripple Africa has over 690 staff and 12,000 people in Malawi working on projects on a part time, or voluntary basis.
These projects include fish conservation, fuel-efficient cookstoves, tree-planting and forest conservation, running and assisting eight pre-schools, supporting a community library, a disabilities and rehabilitation project and sexual health project, and more.
With over ten years of experience working at Ripple Africa, Pam shares her experience on what it takes to successfully manage a charity in Malawi.
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- The environmental challenges facing rural communities in Malawi.
- How to roll out solutions and gain the buy-in from local communities and organisations.
- Are charities a sustainable form of assistance to local communities?
- How is Ripple Africa improving the lives of Malawians?
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We had a great conversation with Nana Skari Maidugu, who is the Head of Sustainability and ESG at the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
At NSIA, Nana is responsible for developing and driving sustainability strategy & climate initiatives, as well as the implementation of its ESG framework across the Authority, its investments and partnerships.
With extensive experience in infrastructure investment, Nana shares her perspective on sustainable and impact investment in Nigeria
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- The challenges of financing infrastructure such as inflation.
- Where does the money come from?
- How is NSIA leveraging climate finance for its projects?
- Why you should get into the ESG space in Africa.
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*please find attached a copy of the NSIA Development Impact Report 2021
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We sat down with Emmanuel Ezenwere the CEO of Arone, a company whose mission is to pioneer technologies that democratize access to basic amenities required to live a better life.
Emmanuel is an entrepreneur with 8 years of experience building technologies that focus on the development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and clean energy technologies. Arone looks to solve issues around access to electricity and healthcare within Nigeria, with a potential to scale to other developing economies.
Emmanuel’s work has been recognized and published nationally & internationally by the likes of Total Energies, Oxford Business Group (UK) & BusinessDay.
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- The challenges of building a battery assembly plant in Nigeria.
- Emmanuel's unfortunate encounter with a fraudster
- Arone's innovative battery solution
- The opportunities for solar cell manufacturing in Africa
Have a listen!
*As at the time this episode was recorded, Arone was looking to raise startup funding. Please reach out to Emmanuel for further enquiries on this.
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We had a conversation with Nicholas Rawhani, the CEO of Vula, a company whose mission is to help African entrepreneurs secure funding for their business.
Born and raised in South Africa, Nic tells us about his experience transitioning from the corporate world with McKinsey, where he worked to support green scale-ups in Africa, to leading a venture backed start up.
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- The challenges faced by African entrepreneurs in raising funding?
- Some tips that entrepreneurs can use to secure funding for their business.
- Nic's experience with Entrepreneur First and finding a co-founder.
- Vula's integrated software solution using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Have a listen!
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We had a conversation with Maryam Abdulkadir, an environmentalist who works with rural communities in Nigerian to reintroduce cultural medicinal practices.
She is the founder of Plant Revival Enterprise, a social enterprise that replants native medicinal fruit trees and crops which have become endangered in specific communities in Nigeria. Plant Revival is known for creating the first botanical garden in northeastern Nigeria, on a hectare of land donated by Modibbo Adama University in Yola, Adamawa state.
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- Environmentalism - why should you care?
- The dangers of deforestation on culture and identity.
- What are the challenges of running a social enterprise in a conflict-prone region in sub-saharan Africa.
- How do you differentiate between what people want and what they need.
Have a listen!
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We had a conversation with Rahul Srinivasan, a Senior Energy Specialist at Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll), to explore the nexus between energy and healthcare in Africa.
SEforAll is a United Nations partner organization that strives to accelerate access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.
The key themes we explore on this episode include:
- The interdependencies between energy and healthcare in sub-saharan Africa.
- Around 15% of health facilities in sub-saharan Africa have no access to power. Why is this the case?
- The 5-pillar approach to tackling this problem.
- How you can be part of the solution.
Have a listen!
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As the name suggests, your hosts Hassana, Joshua and Bolaji, reflected on the 8 episodes released so far.
We highlighted where progress has been made and hinted on the direction of the podcast going forward. The nature of the conversation was more of a chat than a formal interview.
Finally, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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Can I use solar energy to power my business?
On this episode of Africa's Big Switch we had a conversation with Victor Tobenna Ezenwoko, the Chief Commercial Officer of Daystar Power, to explore commercial and industrial clean energy solutions in Africa.
From steel manufacturers in Ghana to commercial banks in Nigeria, Daystar Power is committed to helping African businesses grow and develop by taking care of their power needs. In doing so, it aims to contribute to the clean and sustainable growth of African countries.
Today, Daystar Power is present in four countries, runs over 300 power installations with an installed solar capacity of 32 MW, and has a team of 140 colleagues. [1]
The questions we explore on this episode include:
- Why are businesses making the switch from diesel generators to cleaner energy solutions?
- What are some of the regulatory and supply chain issues faced with delivering clean power solutions in Africa?
- Can solar power my air conditioner?
Have a listen!
[1] https://www.daystar-power.com/about-us
Still on Nuclear Energy! But this time we take a deeper dive into the technology.
Have you heard of the Pebble Small Modular Reactor (PSMR)?
We spoke to Dr Trevor Dudley, the CEO of Mozweli Nuclear Engineering Limited on the role of nuclear energy in diversifying Africa's energy mix. Dr Trevor holds over 26 years of experience in the nuclear engineering and he is particularly involved in the development of nuclear pebble technology. He is also a member of the South African advisory committee that works with the IAEA and advises the government on nuclear affairs.
Some of the key questions we covered on this episode include:
- What role can nuclear energy play in Africa's economic development?
- Should we be concerned about nuclear waste?
- What should we be hopeful for in the future of nuclear energy in Africa?
We hope you enjoy this!
There is often this mysterious cloud surrounding the nuclear industry with a lot of false perceptions on its safety and role in contributing towards a sustainable energy future.
On this episode of Africa's Big Switch, we had a conversation with Patience Mthombeni, a nuclear communication specialist with over 10 years experience, to help us demystify some of the myths surrounding the nuclear industry in Africa.
Some of the questions we explored include:
- The safety of nuclear energy. Is it actually safe?
- What is the key to widespread adoption of nuclear energy in Africa?
- Does Africa currently posses the the skills to safely run and maintain a nuclear plant?
Find out on this episode!
The Oil and Gas industry has been a notorious contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, which has contributed to climate change.
But does oil & gas have a role to play in the energy transition in Africa?
If so, how?
To explore this, we sat down with James Makinde, the General Manager of Ardova Plc. With over 15 years experience in oil and gas industry, James now leads business development into sustainable energy solutions in areas of clean mobility and renewables amongst others.
Please have a listen!
Did you know?
Over 3 billion people live without access to clean cooking facilities in the world today.
According to the IEA, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 490,000 premature deaths per year linked to household air pollution from the lack of access to clean cooking facilities, with women and children being the worst affected. The unsustainable harvesting of fuelwood also contributes to deforestation.
Africa's Big Switch podcast has so far focused on rural electrification for its first season. However we believe that it is also important to spread awareness on the clean cooking challenges and opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa.
On this episode, we spoke to Ronan Ferguson from the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) who gave us an overview of the major challenges to achieving clean cooking and its impact on economic and social development in Africa.
We spoke to Collins Kuindwa, an investment officer at SunFunder in Nairobi, to understand how rural electrification is financed in Africa. We explored the methods of financing, their associated risks and ways to overcome them.
SunFunder is a mission-driven solar finance business based in Nairobi unlocking debt capital for solar energy in emerging markets, where over 2.2 billion people live without access to reliable energy.
SunFunder has helped over 10 million people gain access to clean, reliable energy through its blended debt funds.
Using Nigeria as a case study, I had a conversation with Bolaji Onalaja, an energy and technology consultant, to understand the current situation in Nigeria, challenges and available opportunities for renewable energy in ensuring access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all by 2030.
This episode was hosted by Bolaji Akinola-Alli
Co-hosted by Demilade Adeyemi and Daniel Ogbonna
On this episode, I had a conversation with Amit Saraogi and Anshuman Lath to learn how India was able to grow its electricity access from 60% to almost 100% of its population in two decades.
What can African leaders learn from this? What roles do the private sector and public sector play in providing clean, affordable and sustainable electricity access for all?
Please have a listen.
Amit Saraogi is the Co-founder and CEO of Oorja Development Solutions Limited, a mission-driven company working at the intersection between clean energy and sustainable agriculture. It provides affordable irrigation, milling and cooling services to smallholder farmers.
Anshuman Lath is the CO-founder of Gram Oorja Solutions Private Limited. Gram Oorja fulfils the electricity, cooking fuel and water needs of remote, tribal communities. With over 70 mini-grid projects in India, Gram Oorja has contributed to promoting energy access in the southern parts of India.
This episode was hosted by Bolaji Akinola-Alli
Co-hosted by Daniel Ogbonna