The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has strengthened its commitment to Africa’s renewable energy future by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Ghana, Gambia, and Nigeria to drive solar adoption across the three countries.
The agreements were formalised during the Seventh ISA African Region Meeting, held in Accra on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, which brought together 19 African energy ministers and delegates from 39 countries. The gathering, hosted at the Labadi Beach Hotel, was chaired by Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, and featured remarks from ISA Director General Mr Ashish Khanna and Mrs Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.
The partnership frameworks signed with the three West African nations are designed to align solar policies with national energy strategies. They focus on scaling rooftop installations, deploying community mini-grids, supporting agricultural applications, and strengthening institutional capacity through training. Mr Khanna emphasized that these steps will be critical in bridging Africa’s energy access gap while promoting sustainable growth.
Highlighting ISA’s broader initiatives, he cited solar-powered irrigation systems and agriculture-based projects aimed at boosting food security and reducing Africa’s food import bill by an estimated USD 400 billion. He also announced that 12 Solar Technology Application Resource Centres (STAR-Cs) would be established across Africa by 2035, including one in Ghana, to serve as hubs for training, testing, and youth innovation.
“Through these centres, Africans will gain advanced skills, supported by global knowledge-sharing on digitisation and AI, ensuring that Africa leapfrogs in the energy transition,” Mr Khanna said.
Ghana’s Energy Minister, Mr Jinapor, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to solar expansion, particularly in underserved rural communities. “We want to work with ISA to deploy solar irrigation pumps in areas experiencing long dry seasons to boost farmer productivity. The technology will be deployed alongside training for Ghanaian artisans and technicians,” he stated. He added that Ghana intends to roll out solar rooftops for critical institutions and convert street lighting systems to solar to reduce peak energy demand and cut costs.
Mrs Ogunbiyi urged African governments to mobilise financing through sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and development banks to accelerate renewable energy projects. She stressed that “streamlining licences and unlocking tariffs will be essential to scale private sector participation.”
The meeting, attended by dignitaries including Mr Seth Terkper, Economic Advisor to the Government; Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Hon. Emelia Arthur, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development; H.E. Manish Gupta, High Commissioner of India to Ghana; and H.E. Jules Armand Beaussieux, French Ambassador to Ghana, underscored the urgency of expanding solar energy adoption through stronger policies, innovative financing, and regional cooperation.
The Accra gathering marked another milestone in Africa’s renewable energy journey, with partnerships, training, and investment emerging as the key drivers of a sustainable solar-powered future.
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.
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 the 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.The Africa 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.
