The Enabling Early Stage Infrastructure Investing is an Ecosystem Roundtable focused on the Opportunities, Issues and Constraints affecting Early Stage Investing in Infrastructure in Africa

Organized by

Sponsor

Co-hosted by

Date & Time

Thursday

23 July 2026

10am (GMT+1) /NIGERIA TIME

EESII OVERVIEW

EESII 3.0

Background

Infrastructure development remains a critical driver of Africa’s economic transformation, yet the continent continues to face a persistent financing gap, particularly at the early stages of project preparation. While global and regional investors are increasingly interested in Africa’s infrastructure market, many bankable projects fail to emerge due to a lack of risk capital, enabling policy frameworks, and robust early-stage project development support.

The Enabling Early-Stage Infrastructure Investing (EESII) is an initiative designed to address these gaps. It provides a structured platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and solution-building between governments, development finance institutions, private investors, and infrastructure project developers.

Purpose of the EESII Series

Identify opportunities and bottlenecks that shape early-stage investment flows into infrastructure.
Connect early-stage project sponsors with potential financiers and technical partners.
Influence policy and institutional frameworks that improve bankability and investment readiness.
Showcase high-potential infrastructure projects to targeted investors and stakeholders.

EESII Focus

Every EESII session will focus on unlocking early-stage capital for Africa’s infrastructure pipeline, with emphasis on practical strategies to bridge the gap between project conception and financial close.

A central feature of this edition will be the Infrapitch Session, showcasing selected early-stage projects developed by participants of the Developing & Financing Infrastructure Projects (DFIP) programme.

Objectives of EESII

Highlight the structural and financial barriers to early-stage infrastructure investment in Africa.
Share global and African best practices for project preparation and early-stage financing.
Provide a platform for DFIP-trained project sponsors to pitch their concepts to expert judges and investors.
Foster connections between early-stage developers and potential funders/partners

EESII Format

The session will be fully virtual via Microsoft Teams and will combine keynote presentations, panel discussions, and the Infrapitch showcase, followed by Q&A and networking opportunities in breakout rooms.

Watch EESII Video Recap

Panel Session

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Powering Africa Beyond Solar

Unlocking Biogas, Wind, and Small-Scale Hydro

Background

Africa’s energy transition has, over the past decade, been heavily driven by solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions, particularly in off-grid and distributed energy systems. While solar remains a critical pillar, its intermittency and limitations in baseload capacity highlight the need for a more diversified and resilient renewable energy mix.

Across the continent, alternative renewable energy sources such as biogas, wind, and small-scale hydropower remain significantly underdeveloped despite their strong potential to complement solar and provide more stable, localized, and scalable energy solutions. Countries like Kenya and Ethiopia have demonstrated the viability of wind and small hydro, while agricultural economies across West Africa present untapped opportunities for biogas-to-energy solutions.

However, these technologies continue to face barriers related to project preparation, financing, policy support, and technical capacity. The EESII 3 Panel Session seeks to deepen the conversation on diversifying Africa’s renewable energy portfolio beyond solar by exploring practical pathways for scaling these alternative energy solutions

Objective of Panel Session

The panel aims to:

Highlight the strategic importance of diversifying Africa’s renewable energy mix beyond solar
Showcase viable project models in biogas, wind, and small-scale hydro
Identify key barriers to project development, structuring, and financing
Explore innovative financing and blended capital solutions for these sectors
Facilitate dialogue between project developers, investors, policymakers, and technical partners
Catalyze interest in developing bankable projects within these alternative energy segments

Panel Session Focus

The panel will be structured around the following key themes:

Resource Potential and Market Opportunities
- Mapping high-potential regions for biogas, wind, and small hydro
- Leveraging agricultural, geographic, and hydrological advantages
Project Development and Structuring Challenges
- Early-stage project risks and mitigation strategies
- Standardization and replication of project models
Financing and Investment Readiness
- Blended finance, concessional capital, and risk-sharing instruments
- Investor perspectives on non-solar renewable technologies
Policy, Regulation, and Enabling Environment
- Regulatory frameworks required to scale alternative renewables
- Role of government and development finance institutions
Technology, Innovation, and Local Capacity
- Advances in technology improving cost and efficiency
- Building local technical and operational capacity

Expected Outcomes

Increased awareness of the commercial viability of biogas, wind, and small-scale hydro projects
Identification of actionable pathways to improve project bankability and investment readiness
Strengthened collaboration between developers, investors, and ecosystem partners
Generation of a pipeline of potential projects for future InfraPitch sessions
Policy and ecosystem insights to inform stakeholders and support advocacy efforts
Contribution to a more diversified, resilient, and sustainable energy transition across Africa

Format

The session will be fully virtual and will combine keynote presentations, panel discussions, and the Infrapitch showcase, followed by Q&A and networking opportunities in breakout rooms.

Past Speakers

InfraPITCH Session

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AFRICAN EARLY STAGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS PITCHING

Platform for Pitching Early Stage Infrastructure Projects in Africa

Background

The EESII Roundtable is a curated platform designed to advance conversations around early-stage infrastructure development, project structuring, and investment readiness across Africa, especially for projects that combine environmental impact with strong commercial potential. It convenes project
sponsors, developers, investors, advisors, and ecosystem enablers focused on unlocking bankable and scalable infrastructure opportunities.

Please view a recap of the previous edition of EESII 1.0

As part of EESII 2.0, the InfraPitch Session will spotlight a select number of early-stage
infrastructure projects, providing project sponsors with the opportunity to:

Present their project concept, development status, and investment proposition
Receive strategic feedback from infrastructure professionals and investors
Increase visibility among potential financiers, partners, and technical collaborators
Each selected project will be allocated a structured pitch slot, followed by a moderated discussion
and feedback session.

Obejctive of InfraPITCH Session

The InfraPITCH session aims to:

Showcase women leaders driving innovation and impact in Africa’s infrastructure ecosystem.
Highlight barriers and opportunities for women-led participation in project development, financing, and governance.
Explore frameworks for embedding gender-inclusive approaches in early-stage project preparation and investment readiness.
Promote collaboration among women professionals, investors, and institutions supporting gender-smart infrastructure investments.
Inspire action toward building a gender-responsive infrastructure ecosystem aligned with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

InfraPITCH Session Focus

1. Women as Infrapreneurs and Project Sponsors

Stories of women leading or sponsoring infrastructure projects in transport, energy, water, and social infrastructure.
Overcoming structural barriers: access to capital, technical knowledge, and networks.
The role of mentorship and institutional support in nurturing female infrapreneurs.

2. Financing Through a Gender Lens

How can DFIs, impact investors, and funds integrate gender-smart financing strategies?
Gender-lens investing as a driver of both inclusion and performance in infrastructure.
Designing blended finance tools to support women-led infrastructure projects.

3. Policy, Regulation, and Institutional Reform

Creating an enabling environment for gender-responsive project preparation and PPPs.
Mainstreaming gender equality in procurement, PPP frameworks, and investment policies.
Examples of gender-inclusive infrastructure policies in African markets.

4. Building Gender-Responsive Project Preparation Ecosystems

How can early-stage project readiness programs (like ESIIR and DFIP) integrate gender dimensions?
Capacity building, technical assistance, and pipeline development for women infrapreneurs.
Strengthening institutional and regional ecosystems that champion female participation in infrastructure.

Expected Outcomes

Increased awareness among stakeholders on the importance of early-stage capital mobilisation.
Strengthened investor–developer relationships.
Actionable recommendations for reducing early-stage risk in Africa’s infrastructure sector.
Enhanced visibility for selected PIDA–PAP–2 projects, improving their prospects for moving toward bankability.

Format