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The paper argues that Kenya's current e-mobility policies, which favor importing electric vehicles, overlook the value of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). By leveraging IKS in the design, assembly, and maintenance of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, Kenya can increase local content, create jobs for youth and women, and better achieve its climate goals. The author highlights successful local innovations, such as the 'eMkoko' cargo cart, and calls for policy reforms, including tax incentives for local manufacturers and the integration of IKS into formal technical education.

The document argues that while Ghana has a robust policy framework for climate change, there is a critical disconnect between modern CSA tech, Indigenous Knowledge, and youth employment. It highlights the role of startups like Farmerline and AgroCenta in bridging these gaps and recommends the creation of multi-stakeholder platforms and digital IK repositories to foster a more inclusive, climate-resilient agricultural system.

The document details the journey of engineer Kwame Ababio in founding Green Afro Palms and the SmartFarmer digital platform to modernize Ghana's oil palm industry. It highlights the transition from traditional farming to climate-smart agriculture, the challenges of securing finance and infrastructure in Ghana, and the role of technology in supporting smallholder farmers and youth employment.

Osomobegbe Global Ventures Limited (OGV), founded in 2019 by Osomobegbe Eugene, addresses post-harvest losses in Nigeria through the deployment of solar drying solutions. The company utilizes locally sourced materials to create dryers for vegetables, proteins, and fruits, extending product shelf life up to a year. OGV operates through three primary pillars: the installation of solar dryers, the operation of fee-based solar drying centres for small-scale producers, and the provision of training programmes for youth and farmers. While the company has scaled from supporting 300 to nearly 4,000 smallholder farmers, it faces challenges including funding limitations, workforce retention among youth due to financial constraints, and bureaucratic hurdles in accessing government contracts. OGV aims to install 1,000 solar dryers and support 10,000 farmers within the next five years.

The document details the journey of Desmond, a Ghanaian entrepreneur who founded Complete Farmer in 2017 to bridge the gap between traditional farming and modern technology. The startup addresses inefficiencies in the agricultural value chain by connecting smallholder farmers with global buyers, utilizing a model inspired by Alibaba. Key challenges identified include poor infrastructure—such as road networks and storage—and a lack of local technical talent and seed funding. To mitigate these, the company established 10 fulfillment centres (six owned) to reduce post-harvest losses and implemented youth-focused recruitment and training programmes. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a turning point in 2020, increasing demand for the platform's marketplace model. While the company has seen success through international investment and incubators like MEST, it faces scaling limitations due to insufficient capital and regional infrastructure gaps.

The document details the growth of Kiru Energy, a Nigerian cleantech startup founded by Chibunna Ogbonna in 2017. It tracks the company's evolution from portable solar kits to residential rooftop installations and battery inverters, achieving a revenue of 15 million Naira and installing over 250 kilowatts of solar energy. The text outlines the financial trajectory of the firm, from a USD 5 logo investment to a USD 10,000 grant from the Clean Technology Hub in 2020. It further analyzes systemic barriers to scaling renewable energy in Africa, including unpredictable policies, forex fluctuations, and a fragmented innovation landscape where companies work in silos. Ogbonna advocates for better alignment between policymakers and the startup ecosystem to foster innovation and attract investment to a region often perceived as unstable.

Kiri EV, founded in 2020 by Chris Maara, develops electric motorcycles and tuk-tuks tailored for African roads, aiming to reduce fuel and operational costs by 40% to 60%. The company overcame early challenges including unsuitable imports from India and China, a lack of skilled local talent, and regulatory gaps in Kenya where EVs were sometimes classified as toys. Funding was secured through personal savings, grants from the Siemens Foundation and the Kenya Climate Innovation Center, and support from develoPPP Ventures and DEG Impulse. Kiri EV focuses on youth empowerment, recruiting fresh graduates and T-VET students to bridge the skills gap and providing training to 1,600 individuals. The founder advocates for industry-friendly regulations, increased local African investment, and structural protections for local entrepreneurs against foreign competition.

Turkey is aggressively expanding its presence in Africa's critical minerals sector to support its domestic defence, electric vehicle, and renewable energy industries. While Turkey employs a pragmatic, commercially driven approach—often coupling mining with defence cooperation in volatile regions like the Sahel—the paper argues that aligning Turkish commercial agility with EU financial instruments and ESG standards through the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) could create more sustainable, trilateral value chains that benefit African host nations.

Solaris is a Nigerian clean energy startup founded in 2021 that provides solar booths, energy bulbs, and micro-energy kits to rural and urban communities. The company employs a 'energy as a service' model and a lease-to-own system for youth entrepreneurs. Despite facing gender bias, funding hurdles, and bureaucratic delays in importing components, Solaris has deployed over ten solar solutions and sold more than 3,000 Pico kits. The company focuses on youth capacity building, having trained over 50 individuals in solar system design and maintenance, and plans to establish a green technology hub incorporating waste management.

The document details the journey of Dozie Igweilo and his company, QuadLoop, which addresses energy poverty and e-waste in Nigeria. By sourcing materials from formal and informal waste networks, QuadLoop produces the IDunnu solar lantern—composed of 70% e-waste—and offers a Battery-as-a-Service model for other solar firms. The case study highlights the company's iterative product design process, its reliance on personal savings and a USD 10,000 Shell Foundation grant, and its commitment to local youth employment. It also identifies systemic barriers to African innovation, including high electricity costs, expensive international shipping, and high customs duties on components like printed circuit boards.

The document examines the integration of climate-resilient budgeting (CRB) and green budgeting (GB) into Nigeria's national financial frameworks, specifically focusing on the role of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP). It analyzes the impact of Nigeria's 2023 ministerial restructuring, identifies gaps in current policy implementation, and compares Nigeria's approach with other developing nations like Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Nepal.

The document analyzes the resurgence of military coups in West Africa between 2020 and 2023, specifically in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon. It argues that these events are not a uniform trend but are driven by a 'crisis of the democracy norm' initiated by 'pouvoiristes'—politicians who manipulate democratic systems to maintain power, such as by transgressing presidential term limits. The author distinguishes between the 'junta building' model seen in the Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger), which leverages sovereigntist ideology and Russian alignment, and a 'supervisory junta' model in Guinea and Gabon. The paper concludes that geopolitical polarization has weakened Western influence on democratic norms, and that sustainable democracy requires supporting the 'culture of democracy' and a free press rather than just institutional 'hardware'.

Nigeria faces a substantial annual climate financing gap of $15.8 billion, with tracked inflows of $1.9 billion remaining low relative to its economy. The document argues for a Country Platform for Climate Action (CPCA) to coordinate government, private sector, and international efforts, citing the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Senegal as models. While JETPs have mobilized $46.5 billion across four countries, they are criticized for narrow focuses on energy systems and inadequate local engagement. A proposed Nigerian CPCA would expand this scope to include resilience, industrial growth, and social equity, while balancing geopolitical relationships with the EU, US, China, and India to meet a $1.9 trillion energy transition target by 2060.

The document evaluates the BMZ's Feminist Development Policy (FDP), noting progress in institutional training and specific projects in Rwanda and Tunisia, while critiquing the lack of concrete anti-colonial strategies and contradictions between feminist rhetoric and Germany's arms exports.

The document analyzes the interdependencies between the EU, China, and Africa regarding critical raw materials (CRMs). While the EU seeks to reduce its reliance on China through initiatives like the Critical Raw Materials Act and the Global Gateway, the paper argues that complete decoupling is unfeasible due to China's dominance in midstream processing and the high costs of establishing independent European supply chains. It highlights that African nations, particularly the DRC and Zimbabwe, are increasingly pushing for local value addition and processing rather than mere extraction. The author proposes a trilateral cooperation model, using a hypothetical cobalt project in the DRC, where the EU provides technical training and financing, China provides refining technology and market access, and the DRC ensures resource ownership and local industrial development.

The Lobito Corridor is positioned as a transformative route for critical raw materials (CRMs) from the Copperbelt of the DRC and Zambia to the port of Lobito in Angola, aimed at supporting the global green energy transition. While it promises significant reductions in transport time and costs, and has attracted up to USD 6 billion in funding from the US, EU, and other institutions, the project faces substantial risks. These include geopolitical competition with China, which dominates regional mining and infrastructure, and concerns over 'modern plundering' where raw materials are exported without local value addition. Furthermore, the project faces sustainability challenges regarding human rights in cobalt mines, land tenure disputes, and the regulation of artisanal and small-scale mining. The re-election of Donald Trump is identified as a major risk factor that could lead to the freezing of US federal and USAID funding, potentially shifting the project's control toward Chinese interests.

The African Union's admission as a permanent member of the G20 in September 2023 represents a shift in global economic governance, increasing the G20's global population representation from 65% to 80%. Historically, the G20 has been viewed as favoring advanced economies, with initiatives like the 2017 Compact with Africa (CWA) and the 2021 debt service suspension initiative (DSSI) criticized for serving the interests of wealthier nations or creditors. The AU's debut at the November 2024 Rio de Janeiro summit focused on priorities including financial system reform, food security, and climate resilience. However, the document warns that rising nationalism, specifically the 'America First' agenda of the Trump administration, poses a threat to the multilateralism necessary for the AU's effectiveness. To move beyond symbolism, the paper argues the AU must leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to increase aggregate purchasing power—projected to reach USD 1.8 trillion by 2035—and emulate the European Union's model of policy harmonization to attract global investment.

The document analyzes pandemic preparedness in Africa, categorizing nations into scientifically advanced, policy-advanced, and fragile states. It argues that while global actors like the WHO promote standardized frameworks and securitization, these often clash with local needs for long-term health system strengthening. The author highlights a disconnect where funding is directed toward reactionary measures and 'pre-approved studies' rather than sustainable infrastructure, particularly in authoritarian or fragile states.

The document examines the potential for Nigeria to reduce methane emissions in its oil and gas sector, noting that such actions could unlock USD 1.5 billion annually and support the country's commitment to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 under the Global Methane Pledge.

The report maps nearly one hundred agreements on critical minerals between African states and global actors, highlighting the strategic competition for resources. It identifies a lack of transparency in these deals and notes that while China and Russia are prominent, other actors like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are expanding their footprints. The analysis emphasizes that these partnerships often reflect broader geopolitical and historical ties rather than just economic needs.