Written By: Faith Jemosop
EnergyInc Advisors, a newly launched firm in July 2025, has emerged as a key player in the effort to transform Africa’s energy landscape. At its core, the company aims to solve one of the continent’s most pressing challenges: how to attract large-scale investment into energy projects often seen as too risky. With over $8 billion worth of energy and infrastructure capital experience, EnergyInc brings a unique blend of deep Africa-focused expertise and global investor access to a sector starved of financing.
The firm is spearheaded by Rolake Akinkugbe Filani, a seasoned energy and finance strategist with nearly two decades of experience. By positioning itself as a bridge between African energy developers and global capital markets, EnergyInc is stepping into a vital space, working to make high-risk projects bankable and attractive to both local and international investors.
The Urgency Behind De-risking
Africa faces a dual reality. On one hand, there is a growing population and a corresponding surge in energy demand. On the other, the continent is under pressure to meet global climate targets and transition toward cleaner sources of energy. Yet despite the urgency, investment remains low due to multiple risks: political instability, regulatory uncertainty, weak utility companies (off-takers), and currency volatility.
Many investors and lenders shy away from African projects not because they lack potential, but because the financial and institutional risks are too high. EnergyInc’s role is to address those challenges head-on through a comprehensive de-risking approach.
What De-risking Actually Means
De-risking is not just about providing insurance or guarantees. It is a multi-layered strategy that involves preparing energy projects in a way that reduces financial, technical, regulatory, and political risks. For EnergyInc, this strategy is built on four key pillars:
1. Financial Structuring and Risk Management
EnergyInc helps project developers create financial structures that appeal to a wide range of investors. One of the main tools in their arsenal is blended finance, which mixes concessional capital (from governments, philanthropies, or development institutions) with commercial investment. This structure makes it possible to lower financing costs and reduce perceived risk.
Another major tool is political risk insurance (PRI), which protects investors from potential losses arising from government interference, contract breaches, or instability. Additionally, EnergyInc facilitates sovereign or off-taker guarantees to improve the creditworthiness of national utilities or government-backed agencies, ensuring revenue security for investors.
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This combination of tools allows complex projects, whether in oil, gas, or renewable energy, to be seen as more secure and therefore more attractive to funders.
2. Policy and Regulatory Advisory
For energy projects to succeed in the long term, the policy environment must be predictable and investor-friendly. EnergyInc works closely with African governments to improve policy clarity and create robust legal frameworks for energy projects. This includes helping to design and enforce Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), bidding systems for energy projects, and transparent tendering processes.
The firm also advises on regulatory reforms, ensuring that independent regulators are empowered and energy codes are followed. This alignment between policy and investor expectations plays a critical role in unlocking investment, especially in frontier markets like Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Ethiopia.
3. Project Preparation and Due Diligence
Many African energy projects fail before reaching financial close because they are poorly prepared or lack the necessary documentation and feasibility data. EnergyInc tackles this by guiding developers through rigorous project preparation processes.
This includes conducting financial and technical feasibility studies, ensuring accurate tariff modeling, setting up bankable project structures, and even training developers on how to pitch to global investors. By the time EnergyInc introduces a project to the market, it is thoroughly vetted and aligned with investor needs, significantly increasing its chances of securing funding.
4. Investor Relations and Capital Mobilization
Beyond project preparation, EnergyInc also plays a key role in engaging with global capital providers. The firm helps craft compelling investor communications, ESG-compliant pitch decks, and leads roadshows that connect developers with commercial banks, private equity firms, and development finance institutions.
EnergyInc also supports African energy entrepreneurs by coaching them to participate effectively in industry forums, investor meetings, and high-level policy discussions. This visibility and communication help establish trust and credibility with potential funders, which is crucial in the high-stakes world of infrastructure finance.
Learning from Past Successes
EnergyInc’s model is not entirely new, it builds on proven case studies from across Africa. For example, Kenya’s Lake Turkana Wind Farm used blended finance and DFI involvement to secure over $700 million in investment, making it the largest wind farm in Africa. Zambia’s Scaling Solar program combined PRI and transparent procurement to unlock $60 million in solar investment. Morocco’s Noor solar project scaled quickly thanks to a favorable regulatory environment and early-stage public funding.
These examples show that with the right mix of preparation, policy, and risk mitigation, even high-cost projects in challenging environments can attract global capital. EnergyInc is essentially replicating and scaling this approach across the continent.
Why EnergyInc’s Approach Matters
The work EnergyInc is doing has far-reaching implications. First, it has the potential to significantly increase capital flows into Africa’s energy sector, which is essential for closing the continent’s massive energy access gap. Second, it builds local capacity, ensuring that skills, knowledge, and risk management tools are developed within Africa, not just imported from abroad.
Third, it enhances Africa’s ability to participate meaningfully in the global clean energy transition by making projects more attractive to ESG-focused investors. Fourth, it supports energy access and development goals, especially in underserved rural communities that are most vulnerable to power shortages.
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In the coming years, stakeholders will be watching several indicators of EnergyInc’s impact. These include the number of projects the firm brings to market, the scale of capital it helps mobilize, and the types of partnerships it forges with commercial banks, DFIs, and government agencies.
Another key area to monitor is whether the firm can help institutionalize stable policy frameworks in multiple African countries, creating a ripple effect that benefits the broader energy sector. If EnergyInc succeeds, it could set a new benchmark for how energy finance is done on the continent.
