EnergyNet, one of the leading event organisers in the African Energy market, announced last week that the 7th Powering Africa Summit will now be hosted as a digital event over 5 days. After discussions with stakeholders and partners, the decision to move the event onto a digital platform was felt that it would contribute further to the success of the event, by better facilitating high-level delegation involvement, while the boardroom format will promote interactive discussions.
Over the years the Summit has attracted ministerial and governmental participation from leading African countries who are joined by leading U.S. stakeholders, investors, technology and service providers to focus on investment opportunities, driving growth, encouraging innovation and diversity. This year’s summit promises to be the most exciting yet, providing a platform for U.S. intergovernmental agencies to promote policies and development focus in the African energy sector under President Biden’s Administration.
Habiba Ali, CEO from Nigerian company Sosai Renewable Energies who spoke in 2020, explains how the Summit aided her business in gaining investment and also providing energy to women in rural areas.
“At the 2020 Powering Africa summit in Miami, I spoke on a panel discussion about the nexus between energy, agriculture and women, which focused on our plan of growing communities using Solar Powered Mini-grids, which provide energy for homes, but also for productive use of technology which empowers women to engage in the managing of these innovations. After speaking, a member of the audience asked me to explain how I could grow my business to scale. This discussion led to me being introduced to the then USTDA Director. This engagement led to Sosai winning the USTDA grant ensuring a feasibility study across 100 communities ‘Powering Homes and Productive use of Technologies’ ensuring livelihood promotion for over 200,000 women.”
She will be speaking at the Digital Event in June and will be joined by:
H.E. Honourable João Baptista Borges, Minister of Energy & Water, Angola
H.E. Honourable Fafa Sanyang, Minister of Petroleum and Energy, The Gambia
H.E. Honourable Jorge Malu, Minister of Natural Resources & Energy, Republic of Guinea-Bissau
H.E. Honourable Hassan Abdinoor, Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Somalia
C.D. Glin, President and CEO, U.S. African Development Foundation
Enoh Ebong, Acting Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Further details can be found on the website.