It seems like just yesterday but two weeks ago my Power for All team members and I hosted the #PoweringJobs campaign launch at Strathmore University. It was an excellent day of discussion with practitioners working towards electricity access for all in Kenya. I presented our latest research findings, which explore the relationship between small scale energy technologies and job creation.
We find that even though the sector is so nascent, the jobs creation potential in Kenya, especially for rural women and youth, is massive. This is especially important as traditional agricultural jobs are on the decline across the continent due to climate change and advances in automation. But lots of skills development is required to maximize on this opportunity. The future of energy is the future of agriculture, the future of employment and the future of economy for Africa.
That’s why it was so amazing to have major influencers, like the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure, the Hon. Raila Odinga in our audience. There was standing room only as practitioners, donors, youth advocates and government representatives all shared opinions on policy intervention. The audience was particularly intrigued by our data-driven approach to recommendations for the sector and were eager to discuss broader implications for the continent as a whole.
Access to high quality data is critical for achieving SDG7 and the other SDGs! Read our report, and check out this webinar I did for the Clean Energy Solutions Center. You can also follow the campaign and please let me know of any amazing research on energy access and jobs in sub-Saharan Africa, we will be sure to highlight it!