This initiative targets at least 70,000 homes by June 2024, significantly improving the lives of residents currently lacking a reliable electricity source.

The project is fueled by a $20 million grant from the Malawi Off-Grid Market Development Fund (OGMDF), also known as the Ngwee Ngwee Ngwee Fund (NNNF).

Funded by the World Bank, the NNNF aims to expand access to electricity through off-grid solar solutions and stimulate the development of this market sector in Malawi.

“This partnership will bring much-needed energy access to rural communities,” said Andi Kleissner, Co-CEO of Amped Innovation.

“Access to reliable solar power will not only improve daily life but also strengthen the agricultural economy and empower communities to build resilience against climate challenges.”

Amped Innovation, a California-based company, will supply its WowSolar™ kits, which include LED bulbs and mobile phone charging stations.

Green Impact Technologies, led by Admore Chiumia, will oversee distribution through a well-established pay-per-use model commonly used for solar kits in Sub-Saharan Africa.

To ensure widespread reach, GIT recently equipped a team of 200 sales agents to travel across Malawi’s rural areas, where a staggering 96% of households currently lack access to electricity.

This initiative presents a significant step towards Malawi’s goal of expanding electricity access and fostering economic development in rural communities.

This impactful project aims to unlock green development across the continent by leveraging innovative energy modelling tools.

AfriLabs boasts a vast network, encompassing 478 hubs spread across 260 cities in 53 African nations.

The organization serves as a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship by fostering connections between technology hubs, startups, investors, and other key players within the African innovation ecosystem.

Having recently welcomed 16 new hubs into its fold, AfriLabs continues to expand its reach and solidify its position as a leading force for African progress.

Emerge Green Africa, launched in December 2023, is dedicated to equipping policymakers, academics, investors, and citizens across Africa with the resources they need to cultivate clean energy production and promote sustainable resource utilization.

The project strives to bridge cultural and socioeconomic divides in its pursuit of a greener Africa.

To achieve this ambitious goal, Emerge Green Africa will develop and test a comprehensive toolbox. This toolbox will be meticulously designed through a co-creation process, drawing upon existing tools, methodologies, and best practices. The toolbox will facilitate the simulation of scenarios that optimize resource utilization.

Furthermore, the project will establish a knowledge base – a central repository that will house initiatives, informative materials, and platforms for knowledge exchange.

Emerge Green Africa plans to cultivate vibrant knowledge communities within three key African ecosystems: North-Western Africa (Morocco), the Niger River region (encompassing Mali and Nigeria), and East Africa (with a focus on Mozambique).

These communities will be fostered through a participatory approach, ensuring a collaborative and inclusive knowledge-sharing environment.

C4IRs are hubs for shaping technology governance policies and strategies.

This network allows for agile implementation and adaptation through collaboration between national and sub-national centers.

Rwanda’s C4IR will prioritize data governance, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning.

President Paul Kagame, officiating at the opening ceremony, highlighted Rwanda’s ongoing investment in science and technology.

He expressed hope that the C4IR would leverage this foundation to make the Fourth Industrial Revolution an inclusive force, tackling pressing global challenges.

World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, participating virtually, emphasized the importance of Africa shaping the future of technology governance.

He believes the C4IR will usher in a new era for Rwanda and the continent, underlining the significance of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Børge Brende, World Economic Forum President, delivered the keynote address. He emphasized the C4IR network’s role in guiding leaders to anticipate, understand, and shape technological advancements for human-centered outcomes.

C4IR Rwanda will collaborate with global stakeholders to design and pilot innovative approaches to technology governance within the country, promoting responsible and inclusive advancements.

C4IR Rwanda has already played a key role in developing Rwanda’s data protection and privacy legislation, while co-designing its national AI policy.

Several pilot projects are underway with the private sector, focusing on AI applications in healthcare and exploring responsible scaling and governance.

One such collaboration involves integrating the World Economic Forum’s Chatbots RESET framework. The Rwanda AI Triage pilot, led by Babylon, a global healthcare company, has adopted this framework to manage over 4,000 daily medical consultations via call centers.