The “Refreshed” Energy Africa Ethiopia Compact updates the Energy Africa Ethiopia Compact, which
was signed in 2017 between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Ethiopian
government. The Compact seeks to accelerate the expansion of the household solar market in Africa and
help achieve universal energy access by 2030. It will achieve this by aligning supportive policies with coordinated development partner support to improve market conditions and increase off-grid investment.
The Refreshed Compact evaluated the existing barriers to the off-grid solar (OGS) market expansion and
proposed policy actions to address them. Moreover, it has taken into consideration effective and timely delivery
of current and future initiatives by Government and development partners in the OGS sector by aligning them to the National Electrification Programme 2.0 targets so that it can be used as an off-grid implementation plan towards reaching the 35% off-grid electrification target by 2025.
A gender-focused review of the Energy Africa Ethiopia Compact 2017 was also carried out and it was found
to be gender neutral. Indeed, it makes little mention, if any, of women, youth or people with disabilities in its
situation analysis and recommendations for policy action. The Refreshed Compact process sought to understand whether government institutions and other policymakers and enablers have played the critical role of managing the regulatory and policy environment. This included development and enforcement of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI)-responsive planning, programming and budgeting, which is an important element and a critical pillar under the Refreshed Compact.
It also includes a monitoring plan to ensure that all identified support interventions can be delivered effectively and on time, ensuring the most effective support from all stakeholders. The Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE) will support in the implementation of activities under the action plan. The Off-Grid Task Force will coordinate and track progress on the Refreshed Compact actions. MoWIE will also ensure that development partners obtain all necessary support from federal and regional government stakeholders so that they can effectively deliver support to the sector.