ADVANCING HYDROGEN AND CLEAN ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

 

18 November 2025 / current concerns 2-027

 

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ADVANCING HYDROGEN AND CLEAN ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

 

by Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje, FAHOA

 

 +2348034725905 (WhatsApp) / EMAIL: druzoadirieje2015@gmail.com

 CEO/Programmes Director, Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) – CSOs Network and Think-tank

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INTRODUCTION

Africa stands at a pivotal moment in its development trajectory. With burgeoning populations, accelerating urbanisation, and rising energy demand, the continent has a dual imperative: to meet the needs of its people and to do so in ways that align with the goals of climate resilience, sustainability, and equitable growth. Clean energy systems — and in particular hydrogen technology — offer a transformative pathway. This article sets out a vision for how Africa can advance hydrogen and clean energy systems to achieve sustainable development, and outlines practical strategies, challenges, and opportunities for implementation.

 

WHY HYDROGEN AND CLEAN ENERGY MATTER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

a) Abundant renewable resources: Many African countries are endowed with exceptional solar, wind and hydropower potential. This resource base means that the continent is well-positioned to produce clean hydrogen affordably — particularly “green hydrogen” produced by electrolysis powered by renewables.

b) Decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors: Hydrogen offers a pathway to decarbonise sectors that are difficult to address through only solar or wind — such as heavy transport, industrial heat, fertilizer production, and long-duration energy storage.

c) Energy access, equity and job creation: Clean energy systems — including hydrogen-enabled ones — can support off-grid or weak-grid communities, create skilled employment, foster industrial development and help meet multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

d) Export and economic diversification opportunities: Africa has the possibility not only to satisfy domestic clean energy demand but also to become a global supplier of hydrogen or hydrogen-derived fuels, thereby capturing value, catalysing investment and diversifying economies.

 

STRATEGIC PILLARS FOR AFRICA’S CLEAN HYDROGEN AND CLEAN ENERGY SYSTEMS

a) Pillar 1: Develop Clear Policy & Governance Frameworks

i. Establish national hydrogen strategies with realistic phased targets (pilot → scale → export) aligned with wider clean energy and industrialisation policies.

ii. Create enabling regulations, incentives (e.g., subsidies, tax frameworks), offtake guarantees, and certification systems to reduce investment risk.

iii. Strengthen institutional capacity (government agencies, utilities, regulatory bodies) to oversee hydrogen and hydrogen-related infrastructure.

iv. Ensure that civil society, communities, gender equity and local industry are integrated in policy design and benefit-sharing.

 

b) Pillar 2: Build Renewables-to-Hydrogen Infrastructure & Linkages

i. Accelerate large-scale deployment of renewables (solar, wind, hydro) with system upgrades to support electrolysis and hydrogen production.

ii. Invest in hydrogen production technologies (electrolysers), storage, transportation (pipelines, shipping, refuelling), and end-use infrastructure (fuel cells, hydrogen-ready industries).

iii. Prioritise regions with high resource potential and suitable infrastructure, and build modular pilot projects to validate technologies and business models.

iv. Integrate hydrogen systems with other clean energy systems (grid, mini-grids, energy storage, smart demand) to maximise synergies.

 

c) Pillar 3: Mobilise Finance, Partnerships & Local Capacity

i. Leverage blended finance (development finance, private capital, concessional debt) to bring down cost of capital and enable bankable projects.

ii. Cultivate international partnerships for technology transfer, joint investment, and market access (exports).

iii. Invest in local skills development, vocational training and higher-education programmes focused on hydrogen, electrochemistry, clean energy systems (e.g., centres of excellence).

iv. Embed local industry (manufacturing, O&M, services) and use procurement strategies that maximise local value-addition.

 

d) Pillar 4: Ensure Just Transition & Sustainable Development Co-benefits

i. Prioritise equity: ensure that underserved communities — rural, peri-urban, women and youth — benefit from clean energy access, jobs and services.

ii. Design hydrogen and clean energy projects with environmental and social safeguards (water use, land rights, biodiversity) to avoid negative externalities.

iii. Align hydrogen deployment with broader sustainable development goals: clean water, health, education, industrialisation, decent work.

 

Key Barriers and Mitigation Paths

Barrier	Mitigation Strategy
High initial capital costs and financing risk	Use blended finance, de-risking tools, phased project scale-up
Weak grid and energy infrastructure in many regions	Prioritise complementary investments in grid upgrades and decentralised systems
Policy/regulatory uncertainty	Develop clear national roadmaps, stable incentives and regulatory clarity
Skills and technical capacity gaps	Invest in training, research centres, technology transfer and partnerships
Water and land constraints (especially in arid zones)	Use integrated planning (water-energy-land nexus), deploy technologies that minimise water use
Ensuring local benefit vs. export-only models	Embed local content, jobs/training targets, community engagement and value linkage to domestic needs

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR NIGERIA AND WEST AFRICA

For Nigeria and the West African region, the hydrogen and clean energy opportunity is especially compelling:

1. Nigeria has substantial solar/wind potential in the north, and via hydrogen can diversify away from fossil-fuel dependence.

2. Integrating hydrogen strategies with Nigeria’s energy transition plan, industrial policy and SDG commitments can accelerate impact.

 

A CALL TO ACTION

Civil society, development partners and policy-makers must seize this moment. The continent can leap-frog traditional carbon-intensive pathways and position itself as a global leader in clean hydrogen and energy systems — but only if we act decisively, inclusively and strategically. In my capacities with AHOA, SOCSEEN, ANCSO, GCSCCC and CSP4SDGs, I call for the following:

1. Governments to adopt and publish national hydrogen strategies aligned with SDGs and climate goals.

ii. Investors and financiers to prioritise hydrogen-clean energy projects that embed local development outcomes.

iii. Universities, research institutes and industry to collaborate on technology, training and localisation.

iv. Communities to be engaged proactively in project design and benefit-sharing.

v. International partners to support African-led projects, ensuring technology transfer and equitable value chains.

 

CONCLUSION

Clean energy systems — anchored by hydrogen — can unlock sustainable development across Africa: enhancing energy access, supporting industrial growth, creating jobs, reducing emissions and positioning the continent for the 21st century economy. By aligning our efforts across policy, infrastructure, finance and social inclusion, we can build an energy future that is clean, just and prosperous for all Africans. Let us move from vision to action.

 

 

About this Writer: 

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje is an environmental health researcher with Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA), focused on linking ecosystem health and human well-being in Nigeria. He is a global health practitioner, development expert, and civil society leader whose work sits at the critical nexus of biodiversity, health, and climate change. He serves as the CEO of AHOA, a pan-African and global South civil society network advancing sustainable development through advocacy, policy dialogue, and grassroots interventions. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Adirieje has championed the understanding that biodiversity is essential for human health - supporting food security, disease regulation, clean water, and resilient livelihoods. His leadership promotes integrated approaches that address environmental degradation, climate change, and poverty simultaneously. Through AHOA, he leads multi-country initiatives on climate change, ecosystem restoration, renewable energy, universal health coverage, and climate-smart agriculture, while advocating for stronger governance and inclusive community participation. At national, regional, and global levels, Dr. Adirieje engages with governments, international organizations, and civil society to drive policies linking health and environment. His work underscores that safeguarding biodiversity is not only an ecological necessity but also a cornerstone of global health and sustainable development in Africa and the Global South.