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As African countries warm to geothermal energy, the continent’s largest producer is positioning itself as a key role player in the industry, using its knowledge and experience to bag drilling contracts in Djibouti, Ethiopia, while also eyeing Sudan, Rwanda and DR Congo. **By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency** Kenya is looking to grow its geothermal talent pool to capitalize on rising commercial drilling contracts in East Africa, as governments in the region warm up to renewable energy in the race to net zero emissions. Energy producer KenGen has floated a tender for the construction of a geothermal training center, a multi-million dollar development with the potential to strengthen Kenya’s pole position as Africa’s leader in geothermal production. The project, funded by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) is already looking for prime contractors. “The Bidders shall also demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the employer, that it has adequate sources of finance to meet the cash flow requirements on works currently in progress and for future contract commitments,” according to the tender document. The qualified firms must demonstrate having an annual turnover of 8 million US dollars and have handled at least five similar projects, each valued at over 4.5 million US dollars. New training facilities will comprise of, amongst others, lecture and administration facilities, a workshop and laboratory blocks. It will also have male and female student hostels, a villa and a dining area. The facility is projected to take nine months to complete, following the award of the contract to the developer. This is just one indication that the company is expanding its current talent capacity to accommodate the growing demand for Kenya’s geothermal exploration expertise. “The Centre currently plays a major role in training and development of a critical mass of professionals and resource persons in the energy sector within the continent. This will aid in accelerating efforts towards energy resource exploration and development across the continent,” KenGen said on its website. Lately, Kenya’s expertise in geothermal has attracted the interest of neighbouring countries - some with huge geothermal potential - as governments turn to green energy to power industrial growth and light homes. Kenya’s rise as a regional geothermal power. [Graphics: Hope Mukami] Over the last three years, Kenya has bagged multi-million dollar drilling contracts accross the region, making geothermal a significant export revenue generator for KenGen. In 2019, the company secured a 5.8 million US dollar contract to drill 12 geothermal wells in Ethiopia and in February 2021 it won a 6.6 million US dollar contract to drill wells in Djibouti. KenGen has affirmed it is investing in experts with considerable experience in geothermal exploration with a commitment to build capacities for teams working on its projects in neighbouring countries, as part of the country's strategy to aid partners around the continent exploit green energy resources. During the 10th edition of G2G Global Innovation Seminar held in July 2022, KenGen Chief Executive Officer, Rebecca Miano said the firm is focusing on non-energy generation revenue sources - including drilling, consultancy and training - by leveraging on its equipment and technical skills over the next decade. “KenGen is embarking on a path of curious discovery with business diversification which we have identified as our way of life,” said Miano. Apart from Ethiopia and Djibouti, the company has its eyes firmly fixed on Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan for more geothermal drilling contracts. In Sudan and Rwanda, the company has already conducted geoscientific research. Kenya is the continent’s leader in geothermal energy production and ranked among world’s top 10. Increased investment has seen the East African economy climb global rankings, with recently-commissioned geothermal stations taking Kenya's capacity closer to the geothermal "Gigawatt club". “The commissioning of Olkaria I Unit 6 propels us an inch closer to the Geothermal Gigawatt Club,” said KenGen Board Chairman, Gen. (Rtd) Samson Mwathethe. In July, Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned an additional 86 MW of geothermal for the national grid, from unit 6 of KenGen’s Olkaria 1 power plant, following the commissioning of another 172 MW from the Olkaria V geothermal Power project, developed and completed in 2019 by KenGen, taking the company’s total capacity to 799 MW. “It represents an important moment in our efforts to reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels and create a more sustainable future for us all,” said Kenya’s Energy Cabinet Secretary, Monica Juma. Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority placed the country’s installed geothermal capacity by June 2021 at just over 863 MW. Of this, KenGen contributed 82.6 percent, while the remaining 150MW came from Independent Power Producers. The International Renewable Energy Agency's, Renewable Energy Statistics 2022 ranks Kenya’s 863MW geothermal capacity at position seven globally. The USA tops the ranks, with 3,889 MW, followed by Indonesia (2,277MW), the Philippines (1,928MW) and Turkey (1,676MW) respectively. New Zealand (1,237MW) and Mexico (1,034) were also above Kenya, in fifth and sixth places. Below Kenya are Italy (772MW), Iceland (756MW) and Japan (481MW) completing the world "top 10" with the largest installed capacities. In East Africa, KenGen’s (1,904MW) installed generation capacity is more than 60 percent market share with more than 86 percent drawn from green sources - Hydro (826MW), Geothermal (799MW), Thermal (253MW) and Wind (26MW). **bird story agency**

Despite their vulnerability to climate impacts, women are more likely than men to adopt new ideas and unlock innovative climate solutions, according to a new report. However, women are missing from key decision-making roles at most renewable energy firms in Africa, the report says. **By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency** Increasing the share of women in key decision-making and technical roles at Africa’s renewable energy firms could potentially accelerate climate action that cuts down emissions, increases innovation and improves profitability, a new report suggests. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) sponsored report makes the case that, unlike men, women have a high capacity to maximize the power of different opinions, perspectives and cultures to initiate and run with projects that unlock better solutions to climate change. The report shows that women are on the frontline of climate change impact and make most of the energy choices at home, making their presence at the decision-making tables of energy firms, critical. “Renewable Energy (RE) companies could benefit from having more women on staff to advise on market trends and on the design of production and distribution strategies,” said the study, which covered 10 African countries. Titled, Women’s participation in the renewable energy workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa, the report surveyed 64 companies in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia. the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that the renewable energy sector will account for 75 percent of new energy generation and provide more than 40 percent of all of Africa’s power generation capacity, by 2040. The growth will be driven by improvements in technology and lower costs. “The rapid expansion of the RE sector will require a larger skilled workforce, particularly in the private sector, and women can help companies to meet this demand,” according to the report. In 2020, the sector in Sub-Saharan Africa employed 219,000 people, with about half of the jobs (110,000) dedicated to off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) and largely male-dominated, according to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates. Currently, women account for up to a third of top leadership positions - the highest percentage being in the chief executive officer role (30 percent), followed by directors (27 percent), middle and lower-level managers (26 percent) and vice presidents (16 percent). More women leaders needed in energy firms to accelerate Africa’s green transition [Graphics: Hope Mukami] Most female employees are housed in corporate support functions that are less critical for feeding the leadership pipeline. The report shows most female employees were in administration roles (38 percent), communications and public relations (34 percent) and sales (31 percent). Conversely, only 13 percent of women employees were recorded in positions that required a degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). A slightly higher proportion (16 percent) were found in non-STEM technical positions such as environmental, health and safety, legal, and other standards. “The case for women in the workforce and at the centre of Renewable Energy(RE) installation is clear, we should therefore seek to leverage the RE opportunity to draw women from the fringes of the sector to the forefront,” said IFC Regional Industry Director for Infrastructure in Africa, Linda Munyengeterwa. While companies can gain much from the provision of strong leadership from the top to embed gender equality in the corporate culture, countries will benefit by reducing legal barriers restricting women to work in energy firms, according to the report. “Workplace policies and practices can be strengthened to attract, retain, and promote more women,” said Munyengeterwa. Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal were listed by a World Bank report, Women, Business, and the Law 2021, as countries whose national laws restrict women's access to opportunities for high-paying jobs in the energy sector. There is, however, a silver lining. Comparative reports show the continent’s renewable energy firms have more women on their boards than other sectors. At 27 percent, RE companies in Africa also rank higher than the G-20 country average (20 percent) and the African average for other sectors (18 percent), according to the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges 2021 and The Board Room Africa 2021. **bird story agency**

Jolis Nduwimana manufactures eco-friendly packaging from recycled banana waste to reduce plastic pollution and create employment in Burundi. By Avit Ndayiziga Jolis Nduwimana was working as a luggage porter in 2018 when the Government of Burundi issued a decree prohibiting importing, manufacturing, using, and commercialising plastic bags in the country. This announcement left almost all businesses in Burundi in limbo. At that time, the market did not have any alternatives. “Working as a luggage carrier was tough, and I had little hope for a bright future. However, I perceived this challenge as an opportunity to change the status quo and change my career, even though it was difficult to start off as I had no money for the capital. I began online researching till I discovered the ecological package from banana waste,” Nduwimana says. As companies struggled to find plastic bag substitutes to package their goods, Nduwimana spent hours on the internet, researching how to produce biodegradable packaging from banana trees. In April 2021, he launched Warrior Eco-Green Enterprise (WEGE). This social enterprise promotes Burundi’s green economy by transforming banana waste into inexpensive, reusable, recycling, eco-friendly packaging. Jolis Nduwimana making banana bags in Burundi. Photo : Avit Ndayiziga The company collects banana trash from different farmers after harvesting and transforms them into eco-friendly packaging that composts within a week after its usage. This product contributes to preserving the environment and promotes job creation. Beyond that, it enhances the value of banana plantations. “Before, bananas were only for food and local-brewed beer. Now, we sell and earn money from banana trees that we used to burn for nothing,” says Claver Niyonkuru, a farmer in Gitega Province. A man cutting banana fibres in Burundi. Photo : Avit Ndayiziga Jeanine Niyonkuru, a single mother, working for WEGE in the production department, adds that the company saved her during a critical time: “My husband abandoned me with my pregnancy. I did not have a single coin to buy soap, but working at WEGE now pays me off monthly, and I can make ends meet.” Raissa Akiteka, from northern Bujumbura, is an end-user of WEGE’s product. She says that eco-bags are her pride and joy. “I use this package because it is easy to carry, inexpensive, and looks like an extravagant woman’s handbag.” Banana bags made from recycled banana waste. Photo : Avit Ndayiziga As per Nduwimana, who also serves as the CEO of WEGE, 161,288 plastic bags have been replaced with eco-bags, while 185,732 kg of biodegradable waste has been recycled. Even though he is currently manually manufacturing, he envisions shifting to machine production to increase profitability and maximise the ecological impact. According to the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) March 2022 report, plastic pollution soared from two million tonnes in 1950 to 348 million tonnes in 2017, becoming a global industry valued at $522.6 billion in 2022. It is expected to double in capacity by 2040. bird story agency

The Gazi community is combating climate change by growing mangroves, restoring forests, and selling carbon credits. By Jackson Ambole Residents of Gazi in Kwale County, Kenya, are transforming their livelihoods and environment by restoring the once-depleted mangrove forests. “We are making more money from planting trees than we used to make from cutting trees,” Jilo Baya, a community member, tells us. Located 50 kilometres south of Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, the Gazi community is on a mission to restore an extensive mangrove forest once threatened by them. So far, they have restored 615 hectares. Gazi conservation group planting mangrove tree seedlings. Photo : Jackson Ambole The dense mangrove forest is a blue-carbon ecosystem, which means that it captures and stores vast amounts of carbon. It’s also critical to the marine ecosystem around which the lives of Gazi people revolve. However, the locals have not always been conservationists. Over the decades, encroachment by the Indian Ocean and increased temperatures disrupted fishing, the main economic activity of the Gazi people, and they resorted to harvesting mangrove trees, which they sold as a building material and wood fuel. Mangrove trees appear to float during high tide in an estuary on Kenya's north coast. Photo : Jackson Ambole. Photo : Jackson Ambole According to Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) principal scientist Kipkorir Langa’t, Kenya lost 20 per cent of its mangroves between 1985 and 2009. But this changed with the launching of Mikoko Pamoja in 2013, a community conservation movement to restore and protect the forest. Mikoko Pamoja is the world’s first mangrove-driven carbon credit initiative. Mikoko Pamoja adopted carbon offsetting to pull the community towards owning the Gazi mangrove forest restoration drive. The Gazi are now making money through the sale of carbon credits. Carbon credits are permits, common in the US and Europe, that provide for the owner to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas. They can be traded to benefit entities working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The trading system has suffered due to the subjective nature of carbon offset determinations and because many countries still lack the regulatory framework needed to drive carbon pricing. However, these issues are being addressed and Africa is seen as an untapped market for carbon trading. Mikoko Pamoja’s chairperson Ismail Barua notes that the Gazi community is “killing many birds” with one stone through the project. “On one hand they are restoring a very critical forest, on the other hand, they are earning money while at the same time-fighting poverty and restoring fishing and tourism trades which were once dead,” says Barua Barua adds that the community is entirely in charge of three essential aspects of the project: forest restoration, management and conservation. Rahma Kivugo, Mikoko Pamoja project coordinator, says the community has so far planted 56,000 seedlings and has a work plan of planting at least 2,000 per year. “The Gazi Forest absorbs carbon at a rate of 3,000 metric tons per year. Carbon level testing is done twice yearly on 15 selected 10-square-meter plots in the forest. Experts measure the diameter of mature trees at an adult’s chest height. The tree’s height is then measured, and finally, classification is done depending on the height of the trees,” she explains. Firmly rooted mangrove trees in the Gazi village. Photo : Jackson Ambole Kivugo adds that researchers then use the results to estimate the volume of mangrove material above ground in each plot and extrapolate for the whole forest area. According to Kivugo, some 117 hectares of Gazi Forest have been restricted for the sale of carbon credits. Anthony Mbatha of Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) says once an estimate of the plant material above ground has been established, experts move to estimate root volume below ground using a standardised factor specific to mangrove forests. “Ideally, 50 per cent of aboveground biomass is carbon. Below ground, 39 per cent of biomass is carbon,” says Mbatha. Firmly rooted mangrove trees in the Gazi village. Photo : Jackson Ambole After establishing the amount of carbon stored by Gazi Forest, the data is relayed to the Plan Vivo Foundation group in Scotland for certification. The foundation then issues Plan Vivo Certificates(PVCs) to the community through Mikoko pamoja. Mbatha explains that one PVC is equivalent to one metric ton of carbon dioxide emission reductions. Mikoko pamoja then hands the PVCs to the Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services — an organisation that markets carbon credits on its behalf. Mikoko Pamoja sells carbon credits at more than US$7 per ton. “The forest project generates approximately US$15,000 annually from the sale of carbon credits. In total, the community has received US$117,000 from the sale of carbon credits since 2014”, Kivugo said. From 2014 to 2018, the Gazi project generated 9,880 credits, translating to 9,880 tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions. To enhance the protection of the mangrove ecosystem, Kenya included mangroves and seagrasses in her Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs) IN 2020. NDCs are greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments for countries that ratified the Paris Agreement. Kenya also approved the Forest Conservation and Management Act of 2016, a law protecting mangroves and inland forests. bird story agency

Already happening in Egypt and Namibia, Cape Town is embarking on a wastewater recycling project to build a long-term sustainable water supply. The rest of Africa can learn from this. by Biénne Huisman, bird story agency Some Capetonians might find this hard to swallow, but within five years, the city’s residents and visitors are set to drink purified sewage water. But before it’s piped back into homes and businesses as tap water, it will go through stringent recycling processes. “It’s very safe,” says Michael Killick, Cape Town director of bulk services for water and sanitation. “We’ll have our own laboratory with control and monitoring systems throughout the process. We’ll test for herbicides, pesticides, and contaminants of emerging concern, which are hormones, even caffeine, pharmaceuticals, and E.coli. So we’ll be able to pick up if there are any issues.” City of Cape Town official Michael Killiack points out where the Faure New Water Scheme plant will be constructed on a hill near Somerset West, Cape Town. Photo Courtesy : Biénne Huisman To help diversify water sources and tackle water shortage, Cape Town is embarking on what it says will be the world’s largest direct wastewater reuse plant when it starts operating in 2027. It’s expected to produce up to 100 million litres of water daily. However, this is not a new concept in Africa. Namibia has provided treated sewage as drinking water for its city residents since 1968. Their plant, which initially treated 4.3 million litres of water per day, was refurbished in 2002. It now produces 21 million litres of drinking water daily, accounting for 25% of the total water consumed in the arid city. No adverse health effects have been reported, and the plant is often cited in the global academic literature on wastewater reclamation. Last year, Egypt opened what is considered the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant, the Bahr El Baqar, with a daily output of 5.6 million cubic meters. But this water is for industrial and agricultural use and is not fit for drinking. At the Faure Water Treatment Plant, Killick points out the sliver of land where the city will build the new R2 billion (US$108 million) Faure New Water Scheme. Wastewater will be piped to the freshwater scheme, where it will undergo a stringent purification process involving five consecutive treatment “barriers”. The first process is ozonation. This uses strong oxidising properties to break down complex organic substances and destroy germs. Next is biologically activated carbon filtration, which removes particles and biodegradable organic substances. This is followed by granular activated carbon filtration, which removes non-biodegradable micro-organic substances through adsorption. Fourth, ultrafiltration removes particles and germs 1000 times smaller than the width of a single human hair. The last process is ultraviolet advanced oxidation, which will make the New Faure Water Scheme much superior to other treatment plants. “This is a relatively new technology that uses a combination of intense ultraviolet light and an oxidant to kill pathogenic organisms and break down trace micro-organic compounds such as pharmaceuticals, hormones, and personal care products. The ultraviolet light advanced oxidation is an additional step, over and above the others that also target these contaminants,” Killick says. All of this is designed to ensure that water is treated to a quality that complies with South Africa’s national standard for drinking water, as well as international standards that target water reuse schemes. The treated water will be blended with dam water (the latter will make up 80% of the final flow) before being piped across the peninsula, from informal settlements on the Cape Flats to affluent suburbs like Fresnaye, where President Cyril Ramaphosa owns a mansion. But, he concedes, convincing people that reclaimed wastewater is safe for drinking is a hard sell. Killick is optimistic that the benefits of this approach far outweigh any negatives and will be enough to ease people’s concerns. Water reuse is cheaper and more energy efficient than desalination, for example. And planning for the Faure New Water Scheme isn’t being done in a vacuum. Specialist international water reuse consulting firm, Hazen and Sawyer, guided its early design. “The design of each of the barriers and the integrated system is the result of developments and technology in the water reuse industry, across numerous countries,” Killick says. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Water Research Commission has appointed an independent advisory panel of 11 local and global industry specialists to oversee the water reuse project. Cutting-edge technology allows interested parties to tour the proposed plant before breaking ground. After six months of engineering and architectural design, Cape Town engineering consultants Zutari created a virtual reality simulation with a digital walk-through of the water purification process. In addition, there’s some local precedent that may reassure sceptical residents. Insurance giant Old Mutual set up a direct reuse plant at its offices in Cape Town suburb at the height of drought-induced water restrictions in 2018. At the sprawling building, wastewater‚, primarily sewage, is purified and used by around 10 000 staff and visitors daily. “They have been using and drinking reused water for a few years now,” Killick says. The city will invite tenders to build the Faure New Water Scheme in 2023. “It’s a process,” says Killick. “By mid-next year, the city will make a decision to proceed with procurement. We’ll go out to tender first. Then there’s about an 18-month period where people tender, the evaluation of tenders, and so on. And then it will be about two and a half, to three years of construction. So, I think the plant should be up and running around November 2027.” bird story agency

FoodForward SA is reducing hunger and fighting climate change by recovering quality surplus food from retailers, manufacturers, and farmers and redistributing it to beneficiary organisations that serve the poor. by Biénne Huisman Inside FoodForward SA’s new warehouse in Cape Town, 36 pallets of tinned peas are stacked against the wall. Meggan Volkwyn, the marketing manager, quickly does the math: that’s a total of 71 280 cans of peas. There are pallets of tinned beans, pureed baby food, fresh butternuts, potatoes, and cornflakes stacked from floor to ceiling. All are marked with expiry dates. Volkwyn is showing me around their new warehouse. It has a floor space of 1,600m2 – equivalent to about six tennis courts – with a walk-in fridge and freezer room. We pause in front of a pallet of canned peaches. The cans themselves are unlabelled – this, according to industry standards, keeps them off retailers’ shelves. Volkwyn explains: “When something goes wrong with the label, they can’t put this on the shelf anymore, and it can’t go back in line. Technically this is waste, but it’s still perfect for eating. So, it comes to us.” But it’s not just unlabeled cans: “Then we have dented cans, so obviously, as the consumer, you’ll look past that when you shop, right? But it’s still absolutely fine to eat. See, I’ll show you – we have jams, the cans are slightly dented.” She continues: “We also got all these canned peas over here. What happened with this consignment was that the brine was just a darker colour. It tastes the same, the product is still the same quality, but it cannot be sold in shops.” Founded in 2009, FoodForward SA aims to redirect surplus food to address hunger. Food Forward SA driver Phumlani Manomela in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo Credits : Food Forward SA “About 30 million people in South Africa are food insecure,” says Volkwyn. “But 10 million tons of food ends up in landfills each year. I mean, our country produces enough food to feed everybody. It just doesn’t make sense that this is happening.” In South Africa, legislation may be essential to pushing more retailers to partner with organisations like FoodForward SA to help recover the waste. The organisation is actively petitioning the government to enact official policies requiring food firms to donate surplus foods. Volkwyn explains that “surplus food” is not waste. It is still edible and safe for human consumption but doesn’t meet aesthetic specifications, like the unlabelled peach cans or the slightly discoloured pea brine. It may also be past its “sell by” or “best before” dates, although it can still be safely eaten and enjoyed. FoodForward SA’s retail partners, including Pick n Pay, Food Lover’s Market and Woolworths, separate these products during their normal supply chain processes and donates them to FoodForward SA. From there, the organisation redistributes the food before it expires. More than 2,750 charitable organisations around the country (all of which must meet specific strict criteria and are subject to stringent monitoring and evaluation) benefit from FoodForward SA’s operations. Many aim to care for children and the elderly; others are safe havens for abused women, while others focus on adult skills development and empowerment. About 950,000 vulnerable people receive nutritious meals daily from FoodForward’s eight warehouses across South Africa. Thirty-five branded green and white trucks transport the food to partner organisations in rural areas. Volkwyn calls the truck drivers “food heroes.” She says: “People get emotional when they see those trucks approaching, because they know that they’re getting the help that they need. It’s like a glimmer of hope.” Twenty kilometres from FoodForward SA’s headquarters, Randall Morcom, the operations manager for Hope Africa Collective, a non-profit in the Philippi community, shares how being a beneficiary organisation has helped keep hunger at bay. Hope Africa Collective receives fruit, vegetables and various non-perishables from FoodForward SA each month. “Our skills development programmes offer unemployed youth renewed hope for their futures, but food insecurity can make the dedication to this self-investment difficult,” he says. “Through FoodForward SA, we can send our students home with food.” FoodForward SA plans to open its next warehouse in Nelspruit in the Mpumalanga province in February 2023. Its work is supported by the Global FoodBanking Network, corporate foundations, trusts and “quite a big group of individual (monthly) donors”. bird story agency

Through his 'Africa Climate Ambassador Toolkit', young people across Africa and the US are learning to engage in climate activism and restoration activities. Although Ezekiel Nyanfor only learned about climate change three years ago when he moved to his country’s capital, Monrovia, the 24-year-old is convinced the older generation will not bring any climate solutions. “We, the young people can solve the climate crisis. Generations have come and gone and each of those that passed had a challenge they solved ranging from slavery, justice, freedom fighting among others. Our time’s challenge is the climate crisis,” he tells bird story agency. Ezekiel Nyanfor during a presentation. Photo Courtesy : Ezekiel Nyanfor For Nyanfor, the climate change buck stops with the youth. But he’s also aware, from his experience, that lack of information is a major roadblock to young people’s involvement in climate change activism. “For years, I lived in Harper village in southern Liberia, and no day passed without being asked to go and collect firewood. Those are six years of hurting our climate unknowingly. I was never taught about climate change in school or at home. This means thousands of young people are also still in the dark.” This ‘failure’ by the older generations drove him to found Liberian Youth for Climate Actions, through which he developed ‘The Africa Ambassadors’ Toolkit.’ This free online climate information resource teaches youth about climate change, inspires climate activism, and answers climate change-related questions. Ezekiel Nyanfor during a presentation. Photo Courtesy : Ezekiel Nyanfor The toolkit also outlines the origin of climate change and how it has affected agriculture and food resources, assesses different climate policies and agreements, shares stories of activists who have impacted their societies, and empowers the youth with skills, values and attitudes needed to become climate defenders. “I am greatly inspired every time I see young people come up and demand solutions specific to their societies. But my goal is to have all of them well-informed and properly grounded with knowledge,” Nyanfor says. The toolkit has already attained substantive attention with climate action groups and organisations adopting it for internal training. Ezekiel Nyanfor during a presentation. Photo Courtesy : Ezekiel Nyanfor “We took about six months to develop the toolkit, which is now actively being used to train young climate ambassadors in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, US, Liberia and Zimbabwe,” he explains. Nyanfor, who represents Liberia’s youth at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (constituency of Youth Non-Governmental Organizations), is one of the young leaders drafting statements to be submitted and presented at the upcoming COP 27 in Egypt this November. Ezekiel Nyanfor posing for a picture. Photo Courtesy : Ezekiel Nyanfor “COP 27 is an action COP and not a pledging COP. We have our statements already and we are now engaging with our network of young climate ambassadors to update them,” he says. He believes African countries will have more negotiating power if they approach the COP with one voice. Notwithstanding, Nyanfor’s primary mission is to reach as many young people as possible with the message of climate action. “This is my life’s calling; I am travelling this path for life.” bird story agency

Flooding in all 36 states puts climate and the need for a response, under the spotlight. by Azu Ishiekwene for bird story agency In the midst of the catastrophic floods that have submerged swathes of Nigeria in recent weeks, the answer of a leading politician to the climate change question, triggered a storm in the press. One of the three frontrunners in next year’s election and presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was asked what he thought of climate change. He answered with a question: “How do you prevent a church rat from eating poisoned communion?” This reply raised concerns in Nigeria’s volatile faith circles, with adherents calling out the politician for invoking sacred images. There were ripples outside faith circles, too. The response also stirred a debate about just how seriously the political elite takes climate change. Though Tinubu's handlers later pushed back, explaining that the metaphor of the church rat and the holy communion was only meant to highlight the case for climate justice, the wreckage caused by floods across Nigeria is hardly a metaphor. Old Market Lokoja Flood Peak As of October 14, flood-related disasters had left about 500 dead, 1.5 million (larger than the population of the Vatican City) displaced in 27 out of 36 states, and property worth billions of naira destroyed. Yet, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), was still warning that the worst was yet to come. Olam Farms, a private farm with large tracts of farmland in Nigeria’s North Central, reported a loss of over 8.7 billion naira (US$20 million) worth of assets in the flooding while hundreds of small-farm holders and businesses are still counting their losses. Flooding in Kabawa Lakoja Kogi State, Nigeria. Photo : bird story agency For days in early October, the main highways linking the country's north – the country’s major food basket – with the south, were cut off and supply chains were disrupted, leading to rises in prices of foodstuff and even petroleum products, as truckers were marooned. A number of camps hosting internally displaced persons were impacted; one news report chose rather to share the story of mothers who had just been delivered of new babies in the maelstrom. According to a report in LEADERSHIP, a trailer driver, Ismail Mohammed, who had spent three days on the Bida-Lapai-Suleja road, which was publicised as an alternative route to the main impacted highway, said, “The situation is so bad…you can see me slaughtering my cow, the tenth one in three days.” Alerady reeling from the impact of global inflation and security issues in the north, this is not something the country can afford. Yet the impact of floods has been felt in all 36 of Nigeria's states. In the same week, a woman who lives in Mpape, an Abuja suburb, shared this story on a WhatsApp group platform where I belong: “I’ve always read about and watched people’s houses flooded…they lose their stuff and become homeless, but I never thought I could experience it. Aerial view of flooding in Kabawa, Lakoja Kogi State, Nigeria. Photo : bird story agency “I left home to see a friend who came (to Abuja) for her father-in-law’s funeral this afternoon only to be told by my neighbours that I should start rushing home. The house behind mine collapsed, our gate uprooted and my house and stuff flooded. Just finished getting what I could now. Please if you know someone who has a BQ to let in Abuja...” It's not certain how soon relief would come for the distressed woman and hundreds more in similar or worse situations. But those who said the war foretold does not take the crippled by surprise would themselves be surprised by the alarming state of unpreparedness of recent floods, wreaking havoc, in spite of repeated warnings. In February, the weather watchdog issued warnings of impending floods in North-Central states and also in the South-Eastern and South-Western regions of the country. The warnings went unheeded.  And not for the first time. Before climate problems compounded the situation along the Niger-Benue River, the tug-of-war between Nigeria and its eastern neighbour, Cameroon, over the latter’s Lagdo Dam, had been a clear and present danger. Whenever excess water is released from the Lagdo Dam as was the case in September, for example, at least eight Nigerian states are seriously impacted. In 2012, floods left over 300 dead and over two million displaced with collateral damage by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) estimated at N2.6 trillion (US$5.9 billion), the toll this time could be more when the final tally is taken. Aerial view of flooding in Kabawa, Lakoja Kogi State, Nigeria. Photo : bird story agency After the 2012 floods, Nigeria was supposed to build a dam, the Dasin Hausa Dam (more than double the size of Lagdo), in Adamawa State, to absorb the overflow, generate 300 megawatts of electricity and irrigate thousands of hectares of land. Forty years later, the Dasin Dam is still uncompleted and changes in global weather patterns have piled on official negligence. Last week, Nigeria’s emergency management agency said tonnes of relief materials were underway to hundreds of stricken communities. Days after this promise was made in the press, however, flood victims in Koton-karfe, one of the worst affected communities in Lokoja, Kogi State, were still waiting for the supplies. Gabriel Segun, a carpenter in Koton-karfe, said on October 22: “We heard something like that. But up till now, we have not seen anything. My family and the small things I could gather from the floods are scattered. Only God knows when help will come.” Segun added that although he knew that climate change was affecting the world, he hoped that the government could take advantage of early warning systems and be better prepared, in order to reduce the impact on people and the environment. Apart from the direct impact of the floods, concerns about the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and dysentery and other risks from polluted water, continue to pose serious public health challenges in the affected communities. With President Muhammadu Buhari's term coming to an end, public expectation for action before the next rains could well be shifting to the over a dozen presidential candidates wanting to take Buhari’s job. Yet climate change and its predations are hardly in their playbook. The campaigns have been dominated by religion, ethnicity and intra-party squabbles. Repeated calls for issues-based campaigns, amidst the multiple challenges confronting the country have so far, been largely ignored. Apart from APC candidate Tinubu whose off-handed metaphor about church rats sparked criticisms, only the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, paused his campaign to visit a flooded community in Benue State, about four hours from the capital, Abuja. And even on that tour, advertised by his campaign as exceptional proof of sensitivity, Obi still wore a vest emblazoned with his party’s logo and tagline! As I once argued elsewhere, between rising incidents of natural disasters and human disasters in the arena of politics it can sometimes be hard to tell which one is more devastating. But the timing of the floods may force a rethink - about climate and the importance of other key issues - as elections loom next year. Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP. He wrote this article for bird story agency

22-year-old Menia Chaphamtengo plays hockey and tennis - and doubles up as a sports ambassador in her district. She is using her experience and position on and off the field to increase climate action awareness. by bird story agency staff “Sports offers lots of opportunities, yet to be fully exploited,” remarks Menia Chaphamtengo, a 22-year-old who introduces herself as a climate action ambassador and hails from Malawi. While her interest in sports has been an integral part of her personal growth - she describes sport as “a path I was destined to take” - the student of politics and history at the University of Malawi has become known among her peers for a lot more than her ability to swing a hockey stick or serve up aces on the tennis court. “I always carry the climate action message along,” she explains. Chaphamtengo has made it her personal ambition to lobby for climate action at every possible opportunity, including when she serves as the university's sports ambassador, a post she uses to instil a culture of sports among university students. Menia Chaphamtengo watering tree seddlings. Photo : Menia Chaphamtengo The young activist says sporting events are a great way to engage and involve young people in climate discussions. “The youth account for a larger portion of (the) population in Malawi,” she notes, “(the) majority of who do not find the climate action message a priority because of information gaps.” For the young leader, capitalizing on sports to expand peoples' knowledge and understanding of the climate emergency is a no-brainer. Menia Chaphamtengo playing tennis and a colleague. Photo : Menia Chaphamtengo “Many young people love sports but have limited knowledge on climate change and what they can do to reverse the drastic changes. Why not blend the two?” The fourth-year student is not leaving anything to chance, however. She is now looking beyond sports to rally her community to adopt nature-based solutions, manage waste and conserve the available green resources. She leads the Rotary Club of Zomba and has managed to incorporate more than 100 youths in planting trees and visiting primary and secondary schools to spread the climate message. Menia Chaphamtengo and members of the Rotary Club of Zomba . Photo : Menia Chaphamtengo Her focus and goal is to increase climate awareness among young people, both in her own community in Zomba District and further afield. “In 2019 we went to Mt. Chawe where we had a week-long conversation with the surrounding community, about 500 of them, discussing issues relating to conservation and energy transition,” she narrates. The interaction with the community around Mt Chawe made it very clear to the group just how much misinformation and limited knowledge are hindering action on climate issues - and how under-resourced efforts like hers, to improve knowledge, actually are. “Awareness efforts should not be one-time, lest we fail at keeping up with the pace. But then, resource inadequacy pulls us back. It is the reason we have not managed to create a follow-up forum,” she explains. Chaphamtengo however, has actively engaged the Malawian government, seeking to partner with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to facilitate a network of tournaments, especially in rural areas. Menia Chaphamtengo holding a hockey stick. Photo : Menia Chaphamtengo “The proposals are out to the ministry but a lot is happening today, especially with the current droughts, which makes it challenging for the government in isolation to come through for such a program,” she explains. First-hand experience of how climate change is impacting Africa keeps her motivated. “The rise in temperatures has already affected sports. We strain to keep up the heat while playing. This means climate change is here but we all should have a hand in building resilience,” she said. bird story agency

With Johannesburg suffering water shortages, Biénne Huisman looks at how another South African city learned from narrowly escaping "Day Zero". by Biénne Huisman, bird story agency Every day, residents of South Africa’s economic hub, Johannesburg, wake up wondering whether there will be water in their taps. Just more than 1,000 kilometres away, in Gqeberha, a water crisis is unfolding, too. These won't be the last African cities to worry over a looming "Day Zero" when water runs out. But there are ways to avoid it happening. Cape Town has been there and done that – and knows that without careful planning and preparation, there could easily be a repeat of 2018’s “Day Zero” crisis. “Day Zero” was to mark the onset of Level 7 water restrictions in the city. This would have seen most of its municipal taps switched off and residents queuing for daily rations of water. During the recent multi-year Cape Town drought – which lasted from 2015 until 2017 and which experts described as a one-in-590-year phenomenon – the city council dramatically curtailed water demand. Capetonians rallied together in an unprecedented surge of citizen accountability, reducing consumption by letting gardens dry out, reusing grey water, reporting leaks, showering in buckets and being frugal when it came to flushing toilets. Tears of elation flowed when generous winter rainfall in June 2018 averted the drastic “Day Zero” measures. However, the incident shook the coastal city, highlighting major vulnerabilities in its water supply. Cape Town has an estimated population of 4.6 million - with up to two million additional residents expected to move in, over the next 20 years. Until the drought, its main water supply was from six rain-fed dams, including Theewaterskloof Dam, the city’s largest reservoir with a capacity of 480 million cubic metres (that’s the equivalent of 192,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools). In January 2018, the dam’s capacity shrank to 13%. Photographs of its parched bottom, with long-submerged trees standing like scarecrows in the dust, were published around the world. Today, water use in Cape Town remains reduced at around 148 litres per person per day, compared to 200 litres per person per day before the drought. Messaging such as “save water” and “use water sparingly” are still a common sight in public bathrooms. However, concerned citizens have pointed out that enforcing reduced consumption is not a feasible long-term strategy for water security. The local government agrees. No day zero [Image source: Africa Insights] Cape Town city bosses concur that water scheme diversification – obtaining water from alternative sources to complement that generated by rain run-off – is key to avoiding future drought disasters. And they say that these plans and infrastructure need to be rolled out fast. Inside Cape Town’s Civic Centre – the seat of the city council – executive director of water and sanitation, Michael Webster, agrees that harsh lessons were learned. “I think from earlier [before the crisis], there should have been a bigger wake up call,” Webster says. “Either way, we needed a massive shock to now get into a much less comfortable situation. This was a one-in-590-year drought. It really was unprecedented. That being said, climate scientists predict that Cape Town will become drier and experience more severe droughts more frequently.” He refers to the United Nations’ sixth Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) report issued earlier this year. In the chapter on Africa, the report states: “Increasing mean and extreme temperature trends across Africa are attributable to human-caused climate change... Multi-year droughts have become more frequent in west Africa, and the 2015–2017 Cape Town drought was three times more likely due to human-caused climate change.” And of course, Cape Town isn’t the only African city staring down the climate change-driven drought barrel. The IPCC report names Dodoma, Tanzania’s capital, as another vulnerable city, warning that both it and Cape Town are “cases that illustrate challenges for both surface and groundwater supply”. Large swathes of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are in the grips of another almost unprecedented event: the University of Brighton’s Professor David Nash says that four consecutive rainy seasons have failed since 2020, a phenomenon which hasn’t occurred in at least 40 years. Preparation will be key to staving off these harsh new realities. In Cape Town, Webster says that while the council knew for over a decade that water demand was starting to outstrip supply, it was only the recent drought that prompted action to “rapidly accelerate” the rollout of new, diverse, water schemes. These include putting more resources into clearing programmes for “thirsty” alien vegetation – notably a R50 million (US$ 2,741,000) two-year partnership with global environmental nonprofit, The Nature Conservancy. “There are alien invasive species like pines and blue gum that we’re cutting down,” says Webster. “So as to get out more water from catchment areas. This is actually our cheapest source of water and is a priority.” The city estimates that fast-growing alien plants reduce the amount of water reaching rivers and dams by around 55 million cubic metres a year, leading to a loss of 73 million litres of a day. Another alternate water strategy is refurbishing and recharging the city’s three big aquifers – the Cape Flats Aquifer, the Table Mountain Group Aquifer, and the Atlantis Aquifer – allowing for water accumulation and storage underground. Aquifers are naturally occurring underground layers of rock that hold water. Managed Aquifer Recharge [MAR], also referred to as artificial recharge, is the process by which water is intentionally injected into an aquifer. Known as “groundwater sources”, the city predicts aquifers will account for 7% of future water supply. A new desalination plant is being planned, similar to those built in drought-ridden Australian cities like Perth, along with a new wastewater reuse plant – the Faure New Water Scheme – which city authorities expect to be the largest direct reuse plant in the world when it starts operating in 2027. “A sobering example for us is Perth in Australia,” says Webster. “Perth is the same latitude, a similar size, slightly smaller than Cape Town, also heavily reliant on rainfall and their dams. Over the last 50 years - from the seventies -their rainfall coming into their dams has reduced by over 80%. They successfully implemented desalination.” The City of Cape Town’s director of bulk services for water and sanitation, Michael Killick, says: “We are busy doing a desalination feasibility study. Indications are that it will cost double the cost of a wastewater reuse scheme. [The budget for the Faure New Water Scheme is just over R2 billion].” He adds: “The thing is, Australia has a much bigger income base than us. So, they can afford desalination. Desalination is also very energy-intensive, and we've got load-shedding [rolling power cuts], with the cost of electricity going up. One of the benefits of the Faure New Water Scheme is that the water treatment plant will generate its own electricity.” The Faure New Water Scheme, says Killick, will combine the latest purification technologies for perfectly safe drinking water. Over ten years, the city’s water and sanitation budget is expected to be R40 billion (US$2,192,000). “The aquifers, they’re earmarked to be fully running around 2027,” says Killick. “The reuse plant by the end of 2027, and desalination we want going by 2030. So, we’ve given ourselves 10 years, and within those 10 years we want to increase Cape Town’s water supply by about 300 megaliters [300 million litres] a day.” Interim Director of the University of Cape Town’s Future Water research institute, Professor Kirsty Carden, concurs with Webster: the recent drought was an acute shock. She says she is familiar with the city’s new diversified water strategy and that she supports it. “I think the major success with the new water strategy is that, for the first time, the city has shown real commitment to putting water at the forefront of its planning, for what is likely to be a very uncertain future,” says Carden. “The major vulnerability plays out in the actual implementation of this transition; city officials, local residents, academia and other stakeholders will need to work together to achieve the vision of a water-sensitive city.” bird story agency

Aliko Dangote’s huge Lagos oil refinery pits economic imperatives against climate concerns. by Azu Ishiekwene for bird story agency When Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, was dealt a bad hand in a failed transaction, he didn’t give up. Instead – slowly, steadily – he exacted his revenge. His reward? Not a pound of flesh, but millions of barrels of liquid black gold. In 2007 Bluestar, a Dangote-led consortium paid US$721 million for the moribund Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries. Months later President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s government decided to reverse the sale. The decision was driven by a labour strike and labour groups’ insistence that the refineries (which were only producing at about 20% of their capacity at the time) were undervalued and underpriced. Dangote walked away bruised but unbowed. Six years later he announced plans to build a private refinery in Lagos, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day – over 200,000 bpd more than the combined capacity of Nigeria’s four state refineries. On completion, it will span 2,500 hectares. After a series of delays, Dangote’s refinery will reportedly start production towards the end of 2022. But there may be another spanner in the works for his long-term goals: global objections to the impact of fossil fuels. The Nigerian billionaire entrepreneur was once outspoken on global warming and its impact on Africa. “All over the world, nature is reacting. We are having extreme weather conditions…as managers of the city, our responsibility is to share knowledge with our people to prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” he told guests at a fundraiser hosted by the Lagos State government for victims of a major flood disaster in 2011. But that was before he started building his refinery. For Nigeria and much of Africa, a huge endowment in energy sources - renewable and otherwise - remains considerably underutilized. The choice facing Africa, its industrialists and forward-thinking governments, seems to swing between aggressively reducing emissions, already among the lowest in the world, and expanding industrial processes required to meet rising energy demand - without much space for a middle ground. Apart from an estimated 250,000 direct and indirect jobs that the refinery would create, the refinery is also expected to generate other job opportunities and substantially reduce transportation costs, imported inflation and Nigeria's heavy reliance on dollar-denominated imports. These are facts Dangote loves to share in a country with a 33% unemployment rate. Dangote Group insists it’s not in denial about the environmental risks inherent in its new refinery. Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Devakumar G. Edwin, said four years ago that the group was dedicated to producing “efficient and clean fuels by investing in processes that meet European standards of gasoline”. On the same occasion he underscored why the refinery was to be built: “Primarily, Nigeria exports raw materials and imports finished products. When you import the finished product back, you are essentially importing poverty into the country.” Nigeria imports between 80 and 90% of all domestically consumed petroleum products. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Nigeria imported US$7.75 billion in refined petroleum products, in 2020, becoming the 17th largest importer of the products in the world. Edwin continued: “We have always focused on import substitution. It’s what we are doing in sugar and what we’ve done in cement. So, we decided to adopt the same strategy for petroleum refining.” Imports may also harm the environment. Stakeholder Democracy Network, an NGO, reported on its website that the quality of imported fuel could also make the air more toxic, along with other environmental concerns. On paper, Nigeria recognises the urgency of implementing sustainable energy solutions. Its Energy Transition Plan is a green playbook for achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. It comes on the heels of the Petroleum Industry Act, which was finally ratified in 2021. The law is supposed to introduce stability, transparency and accountability to an industry that has long resisted reform. The Energy Transition Plan anticipates a scenario in which increased investment in the sector would lead to an uptake in the use of gas as a “transition fuel” and also help accelerate the move toward decarbonisation. Nigeria, like many commodity-rich countries on the continent, is at a crossroads. Which way forward? Is there perhaps a bridge? Maybe. But that does not appear to be Dangote’s immediate preoccupation: Reuters quoted him as saying he is focused on starting production at the end of the third quarter of 2022 and reaching full capacity by early 2023. The refinery will bring massive opportunities and efficiencies that will have an immediate impact on the climate, most obviously, through reduced transportation emissions. But where Nigeria - and the world - might once simply have rejoiced, the picture is now more complex. About fifteen years on from Dangote’s Bluestar misery, the mood in official circles has changed. Last year, the government gave state oil firm NNPC Limited approval to buy a 20% stake in Dangote Refinery, valued at $2.76 billion, indicating a significantly more accommodating attitude from government. And whatever the world may be saying about fossil fuels and carbon footprints, hundreds of thousands of unemployed Nigerians cannot wait for the relief that the commencement of the refinery promises. As Kudirat Oyefeso, a trader in Ajah, Lagos, about eight kilometres from the site of Dangote Refinery said: “It is the person who is alive and has something to do that can worry about climate change.” OpEd: Dangote’s Lagos refinery pits climate concerns against economic imperatives [Graphics: Hope Mukami] Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP, Abuja, Nigeria

The conversion of fossil fuel-powered cars to electric vehicles (EVs) is quietly picking up steam in Africa as soaring fuel prices drive consumer interest in green mobility. Seth Onyango, bird story agency While the price tag on EVs puts them way out of reach of many around the globe, some startups in Africa are now up-cycling regular ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles to clean transmission, using conversion kits. Others are jumping right in and building battery-powered vehicles from scratch. Electric mass-transit company Roam announced the launch of Roam Rapid on October 19, the first electric mass transit bus in Kenya. In a statement, the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, versioned buses are “designed to address the unique challenges of public transport in Nairobi and Africa.” The 90-passenger capacity buses will have special seats and facilities for special passengers including the elderly and people with limited mobility thanks to its enlarged leg space, spaces accommodating wheelchairs and a lowered floor-entry for facilitative access among other smart features. Further, in May this year, Nigerian entrepreneur Mustapha Gajibo who had been converting petrol mini-buses into EVs, announced plans to build solar battery-powered buses from scratch. Gajibo, 30, a resident of Maiduguri, in northeast Nigeria expressed confidence that the geopolitical climate that has pumped up fuel prices would drive the uptake of electric vehicles in that market. His startup is now building a 12-seater minibus which can cover up to 200 kilometres on a single charge, making the transporter affordable to run and ideal for city commuting. Gajibo's early uptake of electric conversions and the publicity surrounding it has been a shot in the arm for the wider adoption of converted and electric vehicles. Before Gajibo’s foray into the business, the emphasis was on converting diesel and petrol-propelled game-viewing vehicles into EVs, due to their size and design which made it easy to instal electric motors. Fuelling the adoption of electric safari vehicles (ESVs) are luxury safari lodges operating in some of the continent’s premium safari destinations like the Kruger National Park (South Africa), Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya), Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda). Others are Etosha (Namibia), Ngorongoro (Tanzania), Hwange (Zimbabwe), South Luangwa (Zambia) and the Okavango Delta (Botswana). Currently, startups in Kenya and South Africa are where most of the conversions of diesel and petrol Land Rovers or Toyota Land Cruisers are done as demand soars. Conversion costs are in the region of between US$25,000 and US$45,000 per vehicle. Where possible, solar panels to capture further green energy are built into the roof of the vehicle. Operators argue that despite the high cost, the return on investment makes the investment worthwhile, given the appeal to tourists of green, silent travel in the bush. But with new affordable and lightweight EV conversion kits for cars and hybrid systems going for as low as US$8,000 for smaller cars, the conversion of sedans is set to become a wider consumer trend. Already, Africa is witnessing the expansion of EV charging networks in crucial markets, signalling greater adoption of clean mobility on the continent. Electrifying Africa’s fossil-powered cars [Graphics: Hope Mukami] Governments are seeing opportunities in this for job creation and have been dishing out licenses to companies making conversions in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. In 2020, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) became one of the first state agencies to issue Knights Energy and Swedish-owned Opibus licences to convert tourism vans and buses to electric engines. According to the government, EV conversion plans fit into Kenya’s National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2018-2023, which identified operational inefficiencies in the transport sector, heavy traffic congestion, and high fuel consumption as major contributors to high levels of emissions. For many entrepreneurs, however, it is simple arithmetic – if you can’t sell EVs new, then offer conversions. But there is one challenge: the growing scarcity of Lithium-ion batteries. That could, however, change if states like South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia speed up plans to develop a Lithium-ion battery value chain. In May, Zambia and the DRC inked a deal to use some of the estimated 70 per cent of the world's cobalt reserves found on their territory for the local manufacture of batteries for EVs. Under the aegis of the Republic of Zambia and the DRC Battery Council, the two states plan to drive investments into battery manufacturing, hoping to drive local costs down and boost availability on the continent. Meanwhile, plans are also afoot for South Africa’s government and industry to tap into EV components manufacturing, leveraging the country’s vibrant automotive manufacturing value chain. In November 2017, energy storage and automotive component specialist Metair unveiled a programme to produce lithium-ion batteries across its operations in South Africa, Turkey and Romania. Metair partnered with the South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC), located at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), which houses the only pilot-scale Lithium-ion battery cell assembly facility in Africa. And last year, South Africa made a major proposal to encourage green transportation with a new EV promotion policy, offering subsidies to manufacturers and buyers in order to drive up the supply and demand of EVs. Released in May 2021, the country's e-mobility policy framework, “Green Paper” showed the state is planning significant fiscal incentives to spur the sale of new energy vehicles (NEVs). In the proposed roadmap, the Rainbow Nation will ramp up investment in the expansion and development of new and existing manufacturing plants to support the production of NEVs. This includes producing EV components, with battery manufacturing a priority, according to South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition. African states plan to increase the share of the continent’s EV ownership to reduce emissions. Currently, there are over 10 million battery-powered vehicles on the road globally, with the number set to jump to 230 million by 2030, International Energy Agency predicts forecasts. In August, 490,000 battery electric vehicles were sold in China, more than double the corresponding number in 2021 and accounting for the vast majority of new electric vehicle (NEV) sales. NEV's made up 30.1 per cent of all new cars sold in China in August, according to the China Passenger Car Association. For most countries, besides the zero-emission benefit, EVs are cheaper to service than their gas counterparts, with electricity being less expensive than petrol and diesel in most places. Car sales in Africa are expected to more than double by 2040, driven by urbanisation and rising incomes. A good proportion of those could be made up of EVs as local production in Africa begins to kick in and prices of electric cars drop expected, over the next decade. McKinsey says the total cost of ownership (TCO) of EVs is more favourable than that of ICE vehicles in Africa, even in countries with fairly high electricity costs like Kenya, where the residential electricity tariff is over 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, suggesting that Africa is ready for an EV revolution. Early entrants into EVs including smaller players like Gajibo - are also expected to fuel investments in green mobility, worldwide. Electric two-wheelers are expected to record faster growth than other vehicles, with Nigeria and Kenya witnessing a surge in demand for them. According to a Research and Markets report, the global electric bus market size is projected to grow from 112,041 units in 2022 to reach 671,285 units by 2027, a constant average growth rate of 43.1 per cent. The advancements in battery pack technologies and electric powertrains are some of the major factors driving the growth of the electric bus and coach market while many countries are focusing on electrification of their mass transit solutions, especially buses and coaches. Factors such as a rise in pollution and environmental hazards, stringent government regulations, and stiff competition have compelled automotive OEMs to make fuel-efficient and environment-friendly buses. The 9-14 metre long bus segment is projected to be the largest market during the forecast period in terms of volume, but that won't slow Gajibo and others who are eyeing the potential of Africa's absolutely enormous "micro" bus segment. bird story agency