Asharami Square has introduced a new fellowship designed to promote solutions journalism specifically focused on Africa’s energy future.
The initiative aims to equip journalists with the tools to report on energy challenges not merely as systemic failures, but as opportunities for scalable innovation and policy reform.
According to Ndisika, a representative of the initiative, the narrative surrounding the continent’s energy transition is often dominated by a focus on deficits rather than the technical and financial solutions already being deployed.
The fellowship posits that the trajectory of African energy will be shaped as much by the quality of reporting as by the work of engineers, financiers, and policymakers.
By shifting the focus toward solutions journalism, the programme seeks to highlight successful energy models that can be replicated across different African jurisdictions to bridge the power gap.
This approach involves rigorous reporting on the “how” of a solution, examining why certain energy projects succeed while others fail, and identifying the specific regulatory or financial levers that enable progress.
The Role of Media in Attracting Energy Investment
The timing of the fellowship comes as Africa faces a complex balancing act between expanding basic energy access and meeting global pressure to transition to net-zero emissions.
Data from the International Energy Agency indicates that Sub-Saharan Africa continues to have the lowest electricity access rate globally, which remains a primary bottleneck for industrialisation and SME growth.
The fellowship argues that traditional “problem-centric” reporting can inadvertently discourage investment by overemphasising risk without providing a roadmap for mitigation.
By documenting evidence-based successes in off-grid solar, gas-to-power projects, and geothermal energy, the initiative believes journalists can help create a more attractive environment for domestic and foreign direct investment.
The programme will likely focus on the intersection of energy policy and commercial viability, teaching fellows how to analyse power purchase agreements, regulatory frameworks, and the impact of currency volatility on energy infrastructure projects.
This shift in reporting is seen as critical for policymakers who rely on public discourse to gauge the viability of energy reforms and the appetite for new utility models.
The fellowship will provide participants with access to industry experts, energy analysts, and policymakers to ensure that the resulting reporting is grounded in technical accuracy and commercial reality.
As reported by BusinessDay, the programme intends to create a cohort of specialised reporters who can navigate the complexities of the energy value chain, from upstream extraction to last-mile distribution.
The immediate next steps for the fellowship include the selection of journalists who will undergo training in data-driven reporting and the ethics of solutions-based storytelling.
The long-term goal is to build a sustainable archive of energy success stories that can serve as a reference for governments and private equity firms looking to scale energy solutions across the continent.
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