AMDA and GOGLA join forces to accelerate energy access across Africa

More than 127 million people could be connected to electricity through off-grid solar and minigrids, backed by close to $40 billion of investment. That is the scale of what is now on the table, and at the Africa Energy Forum two of the sector’s leading voices agreed to chase it together. GOGLA, the global off-grid solar association, and the Africa Minigrid Developers Association have signed a collaboration agreement, pooling their advocacy, data and policy work behind a single goal, turning Mission 300’s promise of power for 300 million people into delivery on the ground. The following is shared with thanks to GOGLA and AMDA.

Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) and GOGLA, the global off-grid solar association today announced a formal Collaboration Agreement, aligning the two leading industry associations representing the off-grid solar (OGS) and distributed renewable energy (DRE) sectors. Signed at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, the agreement establishes a structured framework for coordinated advocacy, market intelligence, and policy engagement at a defining moment for energy access across Africa.

Off-grid solar and DRE solutions have the potential to deliver nearly half of Mission 300’s target to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030. GOGLA’s analysis of National Energy Compacts finalised as of January 2026 found that OGS and DRE solutions could connect more than 127 million people, supported by over $39 billion in targeted investment. Translating that potential into delivery requires the kind of coordinated, evidence-led sector representation that this collaboration is designed to provide.

“By formalising our collaboration with AMDA, we are combining GOGLA’s global policy reach and Mission 300 Private Sector Council engagement with AMDA’s leadership as Africa’s key minigrid industry platform. Together, we can speak with greater authority, reduce duplication, and direct our collective resources where they will have the most impact.”

Sarah Malm, Executive Director, GOGLA

A structured framework for shared priorities

The Collaboration Agreement maintains the full independence of each organisation while establishing clear channels for joint work. Areas of collaboration include:

• Coordinated policy dialogue with governments, financiers, and global institutions
•  Aligned sector messaging and joint advocacy across shared priorities
• Joint technical workstreams, including Productive Use of Energy and ESG
• Content creation for specific sessions at the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum & Expo in Kigali (October 27–29)

“AMDA and GOGLA have long recognised that the scale of Africa’s energy access challenge requires deliberate coordination. This partnership reflects a shared commitment by AMDA and GOGLA to align our strengths, amplify the voice of the industry, and ensure that policymakers, investors, and development partners have access to the evidence and market insights needed to accelerate deployment. AMDA brings direct relationships with developers and operators across 30 African countries, as well as deep engagement with regulators and policymakers who are shaping the conditions for investment and deployment on the ground. GOGLA brings global convening power and engagement with international stakeholders. Combined, we are better placed than ever to ensure that Mission 300 delivers at the pace and scale the continent needs.”

Olamide Niyi-Afuye, Chief Executive Officer, AMDA

A joint call to governments and financiers

Alongside formalising their collaboration, GOGLA and AMDA are issuing a joint call to governments and development finance institutions to make Mission 300 National Energy Compacts genuinely investable. GOGLA’s compact analysis and AMDA’s 17 Actions for Minigrids point to a consistent set of structural barriers across markets, including regulatory uncertainty and absent concessional capital structures as critical blockers that must be resolved urgently. Without addressing these, private capital cannot flow at the speed or scale that Mission 300 requires.

GOGLA and AMDA are calling on governments and institutions to prioritise three areas:

1. Make compacts investable

• Disaggregate electrification targets by technology to clarify the roles of grid, minigrid, and off-grid, enabling aligned investment and delivery
• Publish clear, time-bound electrification plans so the private sector understands where grid expansion is occurring, reducing risk and avoiding stranded investments
• Define grid-off-grid coordination frameworks with clear rules for grid arrival and service continuity

2. Establish predictable financing frameworks

• Strengthen and scale results-based financing as a core delivery instrument
• Commit multi-year subsidy envelopes to give companies the planning certainty needed to invest
• Align public financing instruments with private-sector delivery models

3. De-risk capital at scale

• Expand access to local currency financing
• Deploy guarantees and blended finance more systematically
• Create clear pathways to crowd in institutional capital

GOGLA and AMDA will continue to engage governments, financiers, and development partners on these priorities through joint policy dialogue, sector convenings, and their respective institutional relationships throughout 2026 and beyond.