Driving capacity, connection, and clean energy: highlights from EAIF 2025

The Transforming Energy Access – Learning Partnership (TEA-LP) was delighted to have been invited to once again attend the Alliance for Rural Electrification Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF 2025), hosted in Kampala, Uganda for the 2025 edition. The EAIF is the leading annual investment event for the renewable electrification sector, fostering business and investor partnerships for the purpose of sustainable electricity access, decarbonisation, economic growth and fighting against climate change. This year, it brought together over 1,000 in-person and virtual attendees for a week of sharing knowledge and expertise, networking, building relationships, and engaging in crucial discussions to drive innovation and growth in the sector.

A group of the EAIF 2025 attendants in front of Lake Victoria, Uganda.

TEA-LP was excited to be joined by several representatives from some of our partner universities, including Prof. Augustine Makokha and Dr. Stephen Talai (Moi University, Kenya), Eng. Hilton Chingosho and Eng. Emanuel Rashayi (University of Zimbabwe), Dr. Collins Okello, Eng. Geoffrey Openy, and Dr. Emmanuel Menya (Gulu University, Uganda), and lastly, Eng. Chrispin Gogoda and Eng. Kondwani Gondwe (Mzuzu University, Malawi). TEA-LP was represented by Kai Forster from Cape Town. Everyone agreed that it was an enlightening week, between being exposed to many of the key industry players, building constructive relationships and networks, and engaging in discussions, which included a panel discussion and a closed-door roundtable discussion that TEA-LP were directly involved in. Additionally, listening to dozens of other groundbreaking talks, presentations, and panel discussions also helped to broaden everyone’s horizons, with some of the most exciting topics including DRE technology and innovations from the field, innovative financing mechanisms for the sector, accelerating the rollout of mini-grids for the clean energy transition, and many others.

TEA-LP and its partners at EAIF 2025. From left: Kondwani Gondwe (Mzuzu University), Nelius Maina (Moi University Masters’ graduate), Augustine Makokha (Moi University), Chrispin Gogoda (Mzuzu University), Kai Forster (TEA-LP), Emanuel Rashayi, Hilton Chingosho (both University of Zimbabwe), Emmanuel Menya , Geoffrey Openy, Collins Okello (all Gulu University), Steve Talai (Moi University)

Kai Forster represented TEA-LP as part of a panel discussion moderated by Jens Jaeger of ARE. The panel discussed financing for skills development, capacity building, and green job creation in Africa, and Kai shared some insights into how TEA-LP goes about contributing to skills development and capacity building in the region, as well as how these initiatives could be financed more effectively to ensure that skills development and training is accessible, affordable, and effective in the African context. Kai was joined on the panel discussion by Carlo Tonelli (EnGreen, CEO), Heli Mikolla (TEI OP VET, Finnland), and Eugenia Masikveni (Cornerstone for Rural Electrification, Director).

The panel discussion that TEA-LP was invited to be a part of. From left: Jens Jaeger (ARE), Carlo Tonelli (EnGreen), Heli Mikolla (TEI OP VET), Kai Forster (TEA-LP), Eugenia Masikveni (Cornerstone of Rural Electrification).

On the final day of EAIF 2025, TEA-LP hosted a closed-door roundtable discussion, with all our academic partners mentioned above present, as well as at least a dozen professionals representing industry. The discussion was moderated by Prof Augustine Makokha, who did a phenomenal job of leading the constructive dialogue between industry and academia and establishing ways such that graduates leave university ready to contribute to the renewable energy sector in a productive and efficient manner after graduating. The main group of 22 was split into three smaller groups, with each group critically discussing and engaging on the following topics to bring attention to the gap between universities and the workplace:

  1. Emerging technologies that industry and academia should focus on
  2. Challenges in the transition from university to the workplace
  3. The role of industry in training students

Attendees of the TEA-LP closed door roundtable discussion at EAIF 2025.

After 45 minutes of discussing within the groups, the main group came back together and a representative from each of the groups shared the main findings from the groups’ conversation with the rest of the group, ensuring that everyone was exposed to the ideas and discussions that arose. The roundtable discussion built on last year’s discussion at EAIF 2024 very effectively, and seamlessly brought forward a productive dialogue between industry and academia to start addressing some of the challenges and gaps that have arisen during the transition from the classroom to career.

TEA-LP would once again like to thank the Alliance for Rural Electrification for the opportunities to collaborate and for inviting us back to the EAIF event. Attendance for TEA-LP and its partners were made possible through funding with UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform.

Written by Kai Forster