Mbabane- The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has unveiled a new Project Preparation Facility (PPF) aimed at accelerating access to electricity and clean cooking solutions for millions of people across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The facility, supported by the World Bank, forms part of the broader Acceleration of Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) programme, a $5 billion initiative targeting electricity access for up to 100 million people in the region.
Launched during the ARE Energy Access Investment Forum 2026, the PPF is designed to support governments and private sector players in developing bankable, investment-ready energy projects through a demand-driven approach.
Speaking at the forum, COMESA Assistant Secretary General Mohammed Kadah highlighted the scale of the energy access challenge, noting that millions of people in the region still lack reliable electricity, while many households continue to depend on traditional biomass for cooking.
He said although solutions such as distributed renewable energy and clean cooking technologies are available, many projects struggle to attract financing due to weak project preparation.
“These projects often fail to reach bankability because of gaps in technical structuring, financial modelling, and risk allocation,” said Kadah.
The PPF seeks to close these gaps by supporting the development and structuring of projects to meet the requirements of both public and private financiers, including development finance institutions and commercial investors.
Kadah described the initiative as a critical step toward unlocking private sector investment and building a strong pipeline of viable energy projects capable of delivering impact at scale.
He called for stronger collaboration among governments, developers, financial institutions, and development partners to create an enabling environment for investment in the energy sector.
The programme is positioned as a key regional effort to bridge the energy access gap while promoting sustainable and clean energy solutions.
Discussion about this post