A UK-backed clean energy initiative has helped 46 million people in emerging economies gain access to renewable energy while attracting more than £3bn in public and private investment.
The achievement was disclosed ahead of the Ayrton-Oxford Academic Symposium at the University of Oxford, which brought together researchers, policymakers, investors and clean energy innovators to discuss ways of expanding access to sustainable energy.
The Ayrton Fund, established by the UK Government, has supported clean energy programmes across 100 countries through partnerships involving 78 universities and more than 840 innovators, academics and delivery organisations.
Since its launch, projects backed by the fund have also contributed to the creation of more than 256,000 green jobs, alongside 191 patent applications and over 2,400 research publications.
The fund’s first phase ran from 2021 to 2026 through 40 UK-supported programmes involving more than 1,000 partners globally. A second phase is currently running and is expected to continue until 2030.
Caroline Ward, Senior International Funds Manager at UK Research and Innovation, said stronger cooperation among universities, investors, governments and innovators would be necessary to speed up the development and deployment of clean energy technologies.
She said the Oxford symposium would help strengthen partnerships, unlock investment and promote energy solutions capable of supporting economic development and climate resilience.
Professor Kevin Marsh, Director of the Africa Oxford Initiative, highlighted the role African researchers can play in tackling energy poverty and supporting the continent’s transition to cleaner energy.
He said converting research into practical solutions would require stronger links between academic institutions, technology developers and investors.
The programme has also supported renewable energy education in Africa. At Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Professor Misbahu Ladan Mohammed said support from the Transforming Energy Access Learning Partnership had helped strengthen the university’s MSc Renewable Energy programme.
The initiative supported the introduction of practical courses focused on local energy solutions and appliances for communities without reliable access to the national grid.
Mohammed said the approach had given students more practical experience and helped connect academic learning with the realities of Nigeria’s off-grid energy market.
He also stressed the importance of African universities taking a more active role in developing energy research and training programmes suited to local needs.
The development comes as Nigeria and other African countries increasingly explore decentralised renewable energy systems as a way to address electricity shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
