杏MAP导航

Paul Samasumo – Vatican City.

The Africa Day conference offered more than just a space for reflection on Africa and things African. It served as a concrete platform to highlight what Africa already represents today on the global stage: a vibrant continent rich in natural resources, human capital and with its young people eager to shape a dynamic continent that is often misunderstood.

A large and predominantly young audience welcomed the panel of speakers and experts from diverse sectors—including economics, environment, cooperation, and energy regulation—for a broad discussion on one of the most urgent and strategic themes of our time: Africa’s role in the global energy transition and the vital contribution of a new generation in building a sustainable future on the continent.

Africa Day and energy challenges

The Santa Croce proceedings were opened by a young Togolese national based in Rome, Mr Isaac Kodjo Atchikiti, an expert in climate finance from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and a doctoral candidate in economics at the Sapienza University of Rome.

Mr Atchikiti said the continent needs to create a prosperous Africa driven by and anchored on inclusive participation. “The inclusion of young people is unfortunately sometimes used only as a slogan,” he remarked. He added, “Creating a sustainable Africa requires transparent and stable economies. These should not just be strategies but fundamental foundations for building a future where we can celebrate tangible successes for the African people.”

Mr Atchikiti pointed to the importance of integrating the Oslo Development Agenda as a possible mode. This is because it advocates for inclusive and sustainable development through multi-stakeholder consultation and partnerships.

Africa

Energy service plans made in boardrooms

Next to speak was Ms Musamamba Mubanga, a young Zambian national working for Caritas Internationalis and is also based in Rome. Ms Mubanga offered a compelling testimony, drawing from her personal experience and her work with Caritas Internationalis on the deep connections between energy, climate justice, human rights, and food security. “The issue of exclusion from essential energy services remains one of our most urgent challenges,” she stated. “Energy plans in Africa are often devised in boardrooms and capital cities far away from the affected communities.” She emphasised that energy is not just a policy dialogue issue for many Africans but rather a daily struggle for survival.

Ms Mubanga observed that there are still situations in some African countries where 80% of people have limited access to electricity. Many households, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, rely heavily on charcoal for cooking—a practice that contributes to deforestation, as it involves cutting down large numbers of trees. If meaningful change has to be in energy service delivery, ordinary people’s views and their lived experiences need to heard.

Water and energy: Pillars for development

Addressing regulatory perspectives, Italian national Mr Fabio Tambone, Director of Regulation at ARER (the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks, and Environment), underscored that “water and energy are the two pillars on which Africa’s sustainable development must rest.” He noted that Africa possesses enormous resources, presenting significant opportunities and complex challenges. “It is essential to develop a distributed energy generation system,” he advised. “Without adopting this approach, we will still be grappling with unresolved problems years from now,” he said.

Ms Isabela Stoll, Head of International Relations at Italy’s GSE company (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici), provided an operational perspective on Italian involvement and outlined the potential for energy cooperation between Italy and African countries.

Another panellist, Ms Angela Cestari, an Executive of the Italian Cestari Group—an organisation active in the energy sector across several African nations—closed the discussion with concrete examples of a company that has chosen to invest ethically and with a long-term vision in Africa.

Harambee!

The Africa Day event at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce auditorium was inspired by Harambee Africa International’s report “The Silent Revolution,” which explores Africa’s role in the global energy transition.

Harambee International seeks to foster mutual understanding between the West and Africa. The term ‘Harambee’ comes from the KiSwahili word meaning “let’s pull, let work together” or “let us unite.” It embodies the spirit of community self-help and collective effort, deeply rooted in African culture and traditions.

The concept was popularised by Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first President. Harambe remains a key driving force behind community-led development and participation in Kenya.

Africa Day

Africa Day, formerly known as African Freedom Day and then African Liberation Day, has its origin in the collective African resistance to colonialism and economic exploitation. On the continent and for those in the diaspora, Africa Day is marked as a time to celebrate and highlight the diverse vibrancy of cultures, dress, foods, and traditions of the people of Africa.