Yemisi Izuora
Organizers of the Africa Clean Cooking Summit has announced a shift in the date of the event, which was originally scheduled to take place in Nairobi on July 9-10, 2026. The organizers include the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Kenyan government, Norway and other international partners. They cited “persistent uncertainties” and “evolving circumstances” that could limit participation by key stakeholders.
However, the organizers confirmed that they will present financial commitments announced ahead of the summit during a high-level virtual meeting scheduled for July 9.
“This meeting will provide an opportunity to review progress achieved and highlight key outcomes, including the significant financial commitments announced ahead of the summit,” the organizers said in a statement.
The statement also noted that stakeholders have continued to make progress since the first Africa Clean Cooking Summit, which took place in Paris in 2024.
According to an IEA briefing published in July 2025, stakeholders had already disbursed $470 million of the $2.2 billion in public and private commitments announced during the inaugural summit.
In addition, more than 70 per cent of Africans who lack access to clean cooking solutions now live in countries that have strengthened clean cooking policies since 2024. Governments across the continent have adopted nearly 40 new measures to support the sector.
Nevertheless, the scale of the challenge remains significant.
The IEA estimates that roughly one billion people in sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to clean cooking solutions. The agency also estimates that household air pollution linked to traditional cooking methods causes nearly 815,000 premature deaths each year.
The postponement comes as advocates continue efforts to position clean cooking as a core energy priority across Africa.
For years, policymakers and development partners largely focused on electricity access, often placing clean cooking lower on the energy agenda. More recently, however, governments, development financiers and private-sector investors have increased their attention to the issue.
The Nairobi summit was expected to reinforce that momentum by mobilizing additional funding, showcasing policy achievements and maintaining political visibility for the sector.
The postponement now raises questions about whether stakeholders can sustain attention on an issue that still struggles to secure a lasting place within Africa’s broader energy strategy, despite the measurable progress achieved since 2024.