The inaugural GreenWorks 4 Africa: Africa Green Skills and Jobs Summit concluded in Nairobi on Thursday, issuing a strong call for closer coordination among governments, businesses, skills institutions, investors, and development partners to accelerate the continent’s green economy transition.
GreenWorks 4 Africa Summit Concludes in Nairobi with Calls for Coordinated Green Jobs Strategy
The two-day forum, which ran from August 12 to August 13, 2026, brought together policymakers, researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, young innovators, and private-sector leaders to examine practical pathways for turning Africa’s environmental transition into employment and wider economic opportunities. The gathering was convened by Jacob’s Ladder Africa in partnership with the African Union Commission Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, FSD Africa, GIZ Kenya, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and the Center for Global Development.
Addressing Africa’s Employment Challenge Through Scalable Solutions
Discussions at the summit unfolded against the backdrop of a significant continental employment challenge. According to African Development Bank figures cited during the forum, between 10 million and 12 million young people enter Africa’s labor force every year, whereas only about three million formal jobs are generated annually.
To address this gap, organizers emphasized that the continent does not need to imagine a theoretical green economy from scratch. Instead, participants focused on examining what is already working across Africa, understanding why those initiatives succeed, and determining how to adapt and scale them. Environment and Climate Change Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno praised the forum for moving beyond dialogue into practical implementation.
We truly appreciate what you are doing as Jacob’s Ladder Africa. Governments across Africa are looking for models that work because our dignity and prosperity depend on it,
Ng’eno said during the proceedings.
Jacob’s Ladder Africa co-founder and chief executive officer Sellah Bogonko stressed the importance of unifying disparate stakeholders into a single problem-solving ecosystem. Our ambition is to begin building something larger than a two-day gathering: an Africa-wide coalition of governments, employers, investors, skills institutions, innovators, intermediaries and young people committed to figuring out, together, how Africa can create green jobs at scale,
Bogonko stated.
Research and Projections for the Continental Green Workforce
The summit’s deliberations drew heavily on empirical findings, including a study titled Unlocking Africa’s Green Transition: Opportunities Towards a Green and Inclusive Workforce. The research, commissioned by FSD Africa, the Shell Foundation, and Shortlist, and produced by Genesis Analytics, was presented during the event by FSD Africa’s Janine Ampulire Mwesigye.
According to the research, Africa’s green transition could generate between 3.8 million and 7.9 million jobs by 2030, with that figure projected to rise dramatically to between 65.9 million and 84.5 million jobs by 2050, depending on technology adoption and climate-risk scenarios. Job growth is expected to concentrate heavily in decentralized and service-led activities, including:
- Clean cooking solutions
- Solar home systems
- Waste recycling operations
- Electric two- and three-wheelers
Moving From Conference Rooms to Practical Action
Closing the summit on Thursday, Principal Secretary Ng’eno urged participants to ensure that the partnerships and solutions forged in Nairobi translate into concrete policies and investments across the continent. He noted that Kenya is well-positioned to demonstrate the economic potential of green investments, pointing out that nearly 90 percent of the country’s electricity generation currently comes from renewable sources.
The work must now extend beyond Nairobi. The partnerships made, commitments promised and solutions developed through this Forum should now translate into policies, investments and practical action that create opportunities for Africa’s young people and advance our collective green workforce agenda,
Ng’eno said.
Participants also highlighted dual training and apprenticeships as critical components for green skills development, while stressing that communities, enterprises, and local practitioners must be actively involved in designing economic solutions rather than being treated merely as passive recipients.
