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Reflections from the Africa–Nordic E-Mobility Exchange in Nairobi
There was something unmistakably warm and human about the Africa–Nordic E-Mobility Exchange held recently in Nairobi. It felt like a long-awaited conversation finally unfolding, person to person, continent to continent.
Set against the backdrop of a fast-transforming African mobility landscape, this inaugural gathering brought together Nordic and African stakeholders who share a deep personal, professional, and political investment in the clean transport transition. Hosted by Business Sweden, Innovation Norway, Business Finland, and Enterprise Estonia, and presented by Intro Africa in partnership with the Africa E-Mobility Alliance, the event carved out space for an exchange that was as intimate as it was urgent.
But beyond the event itself, the conversations it sparked speak to something far larger: Africa’s e-mobility moment is not just coming, it’s already here!
Across the continent, innovators are leapfrogging traditional infrastructure with electric motorcycles, solar-powered charging hubs, and battery-swapping systems built for local conditions. These aren’t pilot projects, they’re viable businesses. In cities like Kigali, Nairobi, and Accra, e-mobility is emerging not just as a climate solution, but as a job creator, a cost cutter, and a symbol of a more self-defined future.
At the same time, Nordic countries bring decades of experience in clean transport, public policy, and renewable integration. But this is not a one-way transfer of knowledge, it’s a two-way exchange of insight. As climate urgency accelerates, Africa offers lessons in agility, resilience, and innovation that the rest of the world would do well to learn from.
The Nairobi event served as a meaningful starting point for this broader dialogue. While presentations and case studies anchored the day, what stood out most was what happened in between the stories, the openness, the unstructured moments of connection. Long after the official program ended, the conversations kept going.
From grassroots entrepreneurs and local startups to policymakers, UN officials, and global investors, the diversity of voices reflected the richness of the e-mobility ecosystem itself. Companies like Roam showcased real-world examples of Nordic-African collaboration, while voices from UNEP, AfEMA, and others painted a vision of what’s possible with shared purpose and the right partnerships.
If this exchange proved anything, it’s that Africa’s clean mobility transition is central to the global climate conversation. Its success will depend on collaboration that is honest, grounded, and long-term.
The spark has been lit. What comes next depends on how we carry the energy forward, together.
