Home Podcasts The Energy Talk - Storytellers of Africa's Energy Transition
The Energy Talk - Storytellers of Africa's Energy Transition

The Energy Talk - Storytellers of Africa's Energy Transition

CleanTech Africa 112 Episodes Oct 5, 2026

The Energy Talk is a podcast that tells the stories of Africa's energy transition, featuring perspectives from financiers, policymakers, and operators working towards a sustainable energy future. Hosted by Olubunmi Olajide and Chigozie Ubah, the show is produced by EnergyHaus Africa and releases new episodes every two weeks.

Episodes

The Last Mile: What It Actually Takes to Deliver Energy Access at the Community Level
The Last Mile: What It Actually Takes to Deliver Energy Access at the Community Level Oct 5, 2026 00:46:15 This episode features Valentina Guido Bergamo, Senior Associate at RMI; Thokozani Kadzamira, Gender and Infrastructure Specialist at the World Bank; Joëlle Matte, Gender and Climate Expert at the UNDP; Sauda Bobboi, Gender Integration Coordinator for the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) at Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA); and Mino Rakotobe, AMP Project Lead in Madagascar, alongside host
Financing the Future: Rockefeller's Approach to Energy Access
Financing the Future: Rockefeller's Approach to Energy Access Sep 15, 2026 00:36:34 This episode features Cassady Walters, Vice President of the Power Portfolio at the Rockefeller Foundation, and our host Chigozie (‘Gozie”) Ubah. Cassady shares her career trajectory—from her early experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Mali witnessing how energy poverty directly impaired healthcare and education, to strategic advisory at Albright Stonebridge Group analyzing industrial con
Inside Obudu Capital: Financing Africa's Climate Future
Inside Obudu Capital: Financing Africa's Climate Future Aug 25, 2026 00:45:41 This episode welcomes Nela Ekpenyong, Co-founder of and Partner at Obudu Capital, a $20M climate tech fund investing in early-stage startups across Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya. Nela's path into climate began with a formative visit to the Obudu Mountains in 2013, where she witnessed, firsthand, ecosystem collapse — vanishing wildlife and dwindling water — that later compelled her to build
Founders in Focus: Nimbus Aerospace
Founders in Focus: Nimbus Aerospace Aug 3, 2026 00:31:58 Olu sat down with Adrian Groos (CEO) and Akeem Niyonzima (CTO), co-founders of Nimbus Aerospace, an  aerospace company building a six-passenger hybrid-electric light jet. At the time of recording, Nimbus Aerospace had grown after successful entry into Techstars and was also raising a VC-led round. Additionally, Nimbus Aerospace plans to sell their aircrafts at around $12.5M (vs the ~$12M light jet
Electrified & Exposed Ep.2: Here's Why Technology Choice Is So Intertwined With Currency Risk
Electrified & Exposed Ep.2: Here's Why Technology Choice Is So Intertwined With Currency Risk Jun 26, 2026 00:45:29 In the final episode of the Electrified & Exposed mini-series, we are pivoting from the private sector perspective to the public sector perspective. Podcast series host, Churchill spoke to two finance experts who are at the heart of the design and the implementation of currency risk solutions in Africa’s energy transition.Arun Singh (Senior Energy Specialist) & Magnus Nilsson (Impact Fund
Electrified & Exposed Ep.1: Why Currency Risk Matters for Sub-Saharan Africa's Off-Grid Energy Future
Electrified & Exposed Ep.1: Why Currency Risk Matters for Sub-Saharan Africa's Off-Grid Energy Future May 11, 2026 00:30:42 Currency risk (often referred to as FX risk) is one of the most under appreciated barriers to sub-Saharan Africa's energy transition. In many contexts it is not just a financing headache. It shapes which projects get built, which companies survive, and which communities remain without power.The Energy Talk partnered with Dr. Churchill Agutu from the Collegium Helveticum to explore this issue t
Africa Minigrids Program: Global Women in Clean Energy Episode 2
Africa Minigrids Program: Global Women in Clean Energy Episode 2 Feb 2, 2026 00:48:34 Valentina Guido Bergamo, Senior Associate at RMI, joins as guest host on this episode of The Energy Talk podcast recorded in Kampala, Uganda during the Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) in 2025.We discuss the role of women in Africa’s clean energy transition through the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) and the Global Women in Clean Energy Fellowship, including the launch of its first cohort acro
Africa Minigrids Program: Global Women in Clean Energy Episode 1
Africa Minigrids Program: Global Women in Clean Energy Episode 1 Sep 30, 2025 00:36:35 Valentina Guido Bergamo, Senior Associate at RMI, joins as guest host on this episode of The Energy Talk podcast recorded in Kampala, Uganda during the Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) in 2025. We discuss the Global Women in Clean Energy Fellowship program that recently launched its first cohort in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Zambia.  This episode also includes a feature interview with Shamiso Kac
CAMCO’s $250M REPP 2 Fund: Building the African grid of the future
CAMCO’s $250M REPP 2 Fund: Building the African grid of the future Aug 19, 2025 00:41:52 In this episode of The Energy Talk, we delve into the inner workings of the REPP 2 fund, a groundbreaking initiative managed by Camco, aimed at transforming the renewable energy landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa. We welcome Ben Hugues (Fund manager of REPP 2) and Ieva Indriunaite (former head of REPP 2’s technical assistance facility), to share insights into the fund's blended finance structure,
Accelerating Capital Deployment in Distributed Renewable Energy: Odyssey’s Product Market Fit
Accelerating Capital Deployment in Distributed Renewable Energy: Odyssey’s Product Market Fit Jul 1, 2025 00:30:50 In this episode, we sit down with Emily McAteer, CEO and Co-founder of Odyssey Energy Solutions, one of the most influential startups in the climate tech space for emerging markets. Odyssey is transforming how Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) projects are financed, procured, and managed—especially in emerging markets across countries in Africa, and also India, Mexico, and Brazil.What began as a
Direct Air Capture In Africa: Octavia Carbon’s Journey to a $5M Seed Round
Direct Air Capture In Africa: Octavia Carbon’s Journey to a $5M Seed Round Mar 11, 2025 00:42:22 Register for the Included VC Africa Reimagined: VC & Beyond SummitJoin Diana Maranga, Head of Commercialization at Octavia Carbon, as she shares her unique journey from growing up inspired by environmental hero Professor Wangari Mathai to leading a pioneering direct air capture and storage company in Kenya. In this episode, Diana discusses Octavia Carbon's early stages, key growth mileston
Blended Finance for Impact: How GreenMax Capital is Energizing Emerging Markets
Blended Finance for Impact: How GreenMax Capital is Energizing Emerging Markets Feb 3, 2025 00:43:16 In this episode, Ifechukwude 'Chude' Uwajeh, Managing Director of Blended Finance at GreenMax Capital Group, shares his professional journey from large-scale thermal power projects to clean energy advisory and fund management. He discusses the challenges of electrification in Africa, the importance of creative financing models, and the implementation of the Small Outcomes Fund aimed at en

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