Some 11 African innovators have been shortlisted as finalists for the Future of Energy Conference (FEC) 2026 Innovation Challenge, organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) in partnership with Africa Change Lab (ACL).
The Innovation Challenge seeks to identify and support African-led solutions addressing the continent’s energy transition, sustainable industrialisation, climate resilience and critical mineral value addition.
The finalists, drawn from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana, have been selected under two tracks: the Pan-African Low Carbon Track and the Afro-Hackathon Track.
They will now proceed to the next phase of the challenge, receiving further engagement and preparing to present their innovations to policymakers, investors, researchers, development partners and industry leaders at the Final Pitch Event during the Future of Energy Conference 2026.
The conference is scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana, from August 25–26, 2026.
Following a rigorous review of applications, Blessing Unoka of Nigeria, Tatu Kassim of Tanzania, and Godfrey Noel, Rhyl Kiio and Tracy Achieng, all from Kenya, were selected for the Pan-African Low Carbon Track.
The Afro-Hackathon Track finalists are AbdulBasit Bashir and Joshua Ebinabo War of Nigeria, Brian Mwai of Kenya, Christopher Amewuho of Ghana, and Modester Nanyunga of Tanzania.
According to the organisers, the shortlisted innovators reflect the diversity, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit driving Africa’s clean-energy future.
Their innovations span renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, battery recycling, energy storage, circular economy solutions, climate technology and the productive use of energy, offering practical approaches to some of the continent’s most pressing development challenges.
The Innovation Challenge is supported by ACEP, ACL and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Timbuktoo Initiative, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening African innovation ecosystems and advancing sustainable energy and industrial development.
