Africa’s renewable energy future: The talent emergency

Our highly skilled workers are increasingly migrating westwards, creating a brain drain that impacts the continent’s development. As the energy industry undergoes a transition towards renewables, the pressing crisis is not solely financial but inherently human. With skilled professionals leaving, the urgent question arises: who will fill the critical roles needed to drive this energy transition? 

The context: an industry in transition
Renewables deliver over 20 per cent of the EU’s energy needs. By 2030, they are expected to deliver twice that — at least 42.5 per cent as outlined in the Renewable Energy Directive. Elsewhere around the world, governments are treating their sustainability obligations with more gravity than ever before, working towards Paris 2030 commitments. From the EU, Australia, China to Japan, a transition in our energy systems is imminent, and investments are being redirected to meet this opportunity. 

Africa is beginning to mirror this global shift. Despite historical cost sensitivity, the demand for steady, sustainable energy sources is driving interest and some investment in renewables. Relatively large-scale solar, wind, and geothermal projects are emerging from the continent, and installed renewable energy capacity is projected to grow significantly; highlighting the urgent need for talent to build and maintain this capacity.

The mounting pressure on conventional energy should force us to think through the professional skills and technology required to meet renewable energy demands. It should highlight the urgency of the need for a highly skilled African workforce that understands the intersection of technology and energy, and how to leverage that knowledge to seize the opportunities presented by this shifting landscape. From installers and design engineers to turbine technicians, the deliberate pivot to renewables and the impending associated investments, create a significant labour market opportunity. 

The talent emergency
According to IRENA, Africa’s clean energy transformation has the potential to create 8 million jobs, but we are not yet prepared to deliver and multiply those jobs. The talent emergency is particularly acute in the renewable energy sector, where talent remains concentrated in the West and while there is no shortage of candidates on the African continent, there is a shortage of the knowledge and skills required. 

Could the Energy Transition Benefit Africa’s Economies?
The energy transition, with its systematic shift to renewable energy needs to be understood not as a burden impo…

Attracting talent
Encouragingly, a new generation of young Africans is increasingly pursuing studies abroad in renewable energy. The challenge now is to bring them back home and motivate them to work in this sector locally. Strengthening local infrastructure, investing in research and innovation and fostering a culture that values and rewards contributions to renewable energy are essential. The chances of our young professionals returning home also depend on the extent to which African countries can offer a compelling reason to build their careers locally.

As attention shifts to renewables, the talent search must also keep pace with the realities of a new work order. Recruitment campaigns for the energy industry can often be conservative. But to attract the right talent, the focus should shift to emphasising benefits that appeal to all genders and ethnicities: flexible-work arrangements, paternity/maternity leave, child care, transparent pay, and the promise of impactful work. The conventional energy industry remains one of the least diverse globally. Yet, we have substantive research that points to the value that greater diversity can have for companies and countries. While efforts move to attract talented workers into renewables, resources for attracting women and the differently-abled should be made prominent.

Retaining talent
As global mobility becomes more fluid; so does career mobility. It is no longer enough to hire the best if we cannot keep them. One study found that 77% of current renewables professionals were open to a career shift away from the sector. To remain competitive for top talent, the energy industry must prioritise rewarding high achievers, emphasising high-quality training and work-life balance. Ultimately, achieving the energy targets set and agreed to globally will require significant strategic investment in talent – on an unprecedented scale.

Finally
Renewable energy employers should recognise that talent investment is not a zero-sum game. That happy workers are productive workers is not cliché – it is indeed a fact. While seeking to meet the energy transition head-on, we must acknowledge that it is easier to attract and retain highly skilled workers when their human fulfillment needs are met. And for prospective talent, the question is simple, in the context of a monumental transition for arguably the most critical of industries: do you want to change the world?
•Fajemirokun is currently a general manager at Lekoil Nigeria Limited.