RES4Africa Foundation launches Empower Transition – Insights from Our Members, a campaign designed to highlight the expertise, perspectives and real contributions of our member organisations to Africa’s energy transition.

Through a series of short interviews, our members introduce themselves and their organisation, share how they support RES4Africa’s activities, and discuss what they consider the key enablers to accelerate electrification across the continent. The initiative aims to give visibility to our community, foster knowledge exchange, and strengthen the collective effort toward a sustainable, inclusive and just energy future for Africa.

This series reinforces a core belief: the energy transition is not achieved by single actors, but by a network of partners who bring vision, technical knowledge and practical solutions.

Below, the first interview featuring AFRY and Antonio Nodari, Vice President at AFRY.

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and your organization?

I'm Vice President at AFRY, where I lead the Green Industrials and Mobility Industry Cluster and the Expertise Cluster. With a background in electrical engineering and a passion for sustainable development, I have spent over two decades developing and managing projects about energy sector, fostering innovation, and building bridges between strategy and execution across diverse European markets.

AFRY Management Consulting is a leading advisor in the energy sector. Combining deep market insight with technical expertise, AFRY helps clients navigate complexity, shape strategy, and accelerate sustainable transitions. With global reach and Nordic roots, we turn vision into action.

2. As a RES4Africa member, what initiatives or activities are you currently contributing to?

Since 2013, AFRY has been an active partner of the RES4Africa Foundation, contributing to studies, white papers and conferences on electricity market design and analysis across both Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan African countries. AFRY experts have supported numerous capacity-building and technical-assistance programmes. A key example is the ongoing “Policy & Regulatory Assistance Programme” – implemented by the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) , and RES4Africa with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Enel Foundation –, an initiative supporting reforms of the policy and regulatory framework in the electricity sector aimed at encouraging private sector participation in the development of electric infrastructure in Africa. AFRY has been a key partner since the beginning, having worked closely with RES4Africa and UNECA on the development of the methodological foundations of this work, namely the Regulatory Openness, Attractiveness and Readiness (ROAR) framework. We continue to collaborate on technical assistance activities, most recently in Kenya and Egypt.

3. From your perspective, what are the key enablers needed to scale up electrification in Africa?

Electrification in Africa is a multidimensional opportunity to unlock inclusive growth, industrial development, and climate resilience. From our experience as advisors across the continent, we believe that scaling up electrification requires a systemic approach built on several key enablers:

1. Integrated Planning and Policy Coherence: electrification must be embedded in national development strategies, with clear targets, coordinated planning across ministries, and alignment between grid and off-grid solutions. Planning frameworks and policy choices should be tailored to local conditions—reflecting each country’s resources, institutional capacity, and socio-economic realities.
2. Local Capacity and Skills Development: electrification must be locally owned. Building technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial capacity is essential—from utilities and regulators to local developers and communities. Long-term success depends on empowering African institutions and professionals to lead the energy transition.
3. Infrastructure and Digitalization: grid expansion, mini-grid deployment, and smart metering require robust infrastructure and digital tools. Digitalization can improve planning, reduce losses, and enable new business models such as pay-as-you-go and demand-side management. Investments in transmission and distribution must go hand-in-hand with digital platforms.
4. Bankable Projects and De-risking Mechanisms: private capital is essential to scale, but it will only flow where risks are understood and mitigated. Transparent procurement frameworks, predictable regulation, and blended finance instruments are critical to make projects bankable.

At AFRY, we are committed to supporting Africa’s electrification journey through strategic advisory and capacity building. We believe that with the right enablers, Africa can leapfrog into a sustainable, inclusive, and electrified future.