African Union Commission Joins Coalition to Advance Africa’s Jobs, Skills Agenda

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

As Africa seeks to position itself within the global green economy, a growing coalition of continental and international institutions is coming together to address a critical question.
How can Africa’s green transition create jobs, build skills, grow enterprises, and deliver inclusive economic prosperity at scale?
Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA) today announced that the African Union Commission, through its Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), has joined a growing coalition of strategic partners supporting the inaugural GreenWorks 4 Africa Forum, the continent’s Green Skills and Jobs Summit, scheduled for 12–13 August 2026.
The African Union Commission joins partners including FSD Africa, the Center for Global Development (CGD), and other institutions working across policy, finance, enterprise development, workforce readiness, and economic transformation.
The announcement follows a series of continental pre-convenings that brought together policymakers, development institutions, private sector leaders, researchers, practitioners, and youth representatives to explore the systems required to accelerate Africa’s green economy transition.
Across these discussions, a common theme emerged: while Africa’s green growth ambitions continue to expand, significant gaps remain between policy ambition, financing systems, workforce development, enterprise growth, and implementation capacity.
“Across the continent, there is growing recognition that Africa’s green transition must ultimately be measured not only by emissions targets or climate commitments, but by its ability to create decent jobs, strengthen skills, support enterprise growth, and improve livelihoods,” said Sellah Bogonko, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jacob’s Ladder Africa.
“Africa has a unique opportunity to shape a green economy that is both environmentally sustainable and economically inclusive. Doing so will require stronger collaboration between governments, development institutions, investors, educators, employers, and young people themselves,” she added.
GreenWorks 4 Africa was established to help bridge these gaps by convening leaders and practitioners around practical solutions across six priority sectors: renewable energy, climate-resilient agriculture, e-mobility, circular industries, natural capital, and green manufacturing.
Unlike traditional conferences, the Forum is designed as a working platform focused on collaboration, problem-solving, and the development of practical tools and recommendations that can support workforce development, enterprise growth, and green industrialisation across the continent.
Expected outcomes include the development of an Africa Green Jobs Toolkit, contributions toward a common understanding of green jobs and green skills through an Africa Green Jobs Taxonomy, strengthened partnerships, and actionable recommendations to support policy reform and investment.
The Forum’s agenda is also being shaped by three enabling pillars: Finance, Technology, Innovation and Market Systems; Policy, Regulation and Governance Systems; and Social Systems, reflecting the interconnected nature of Africa’s green economy transformation.
As preparations continue for the August convening, organisers say the growing coalition of partners reflects increasing recognition that Africa’s green transition must become an economic development agenda as much as an environmental one.
The inaugural GreenWorks 4 Africa Forum will take place on 12–13 August 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, and is expected to bring together policymakers, development institutions, investors, private sector leaders, researchers, practitioners, youth leaders, and partners from Africa and beyond.