CEPREC Launches £3.5M Pan-African Research Centre To Drive Renewable Energy Innovation

LAGOS – The Circular Economy Powered Renewable Energy Centre (CEPREC), on Monday, officially launched a Renewable Energy Innovation marking a ground-breaking step towards addressing Africa’s energy and e-waste challenges.

Operating as a Pan-African, multisectoral, and interdisciplinary Research Centre (CEPREC), virtual launch unites academia, government, and industry to drive collaborative research, innovation, and capacity building.

The Centre is committed to developing cutting-edge knowledge and skills that leverage circular economy principles to support Africa’s energy transition.

CEPREC is funded by the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund of £1 billion commitment to clean energy research and development.

The initiative is supported by an extensive partnership involving over 30 stakeholders from government, industry, and academia across the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa.

Initially, CEPREC will operate in six sub-Saharan African countries—Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Namibia, and Rwanda—before expanding further across the continent.

During the launch, Frances Wood, the UKRI International Director, said: “The Ayrton Challenge Programme demonstrates the power of research and innovation to address critical global challenges. These projects exemplify how equitable, interdisciplinary collaboration can unlock transformative solutions, ensuring a sustainable and inclusive energy future for all.”

“CEPREC will empower local researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to develop, manage, and scale circular microgrid projects through workshops, training programmes, and interdisciplinary knowledge-sharing.”

Professor Muyiwa Oyinlola, Director of CEPREC and Professor of Innovation for Sustainable Development at De Montfort University, said: “CEPREC was set up to transform the way we think about waste, —turning it into opportunity, empowering communities, and driving economic transformation.

Also, Professor Layi Alatise, Deputy Director (Engineering) of CEPREC, and Professor in Power Electronics at University of Warwick, said: “When technology is implemented without local capacity to maintain and expand it, sustainability is compromised. CEPREC will prioritise knowledge transfer and skills development to ensure its impact is long-lasting.

“By integrating circular economy principles into Africa’s energy sector, we are creating a resilient and sustainable future.”

In his contributions, Professor Giuliana Battisti, Deputy Director (Social Sciences) of CEPREC and Professor of the Economics of Innovation at Warwick Business School, added: “This initiative represents a unique opportunity to align cutting-edge research with real-world applications. By combining technological innovation with policy integration, we can create a self-sustaining ecosystem for Africa’s renewable energy future.”

In the same vein, Dr. Patrick Schroeder, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, who is leading CEPREC’s Policy engagement, also said: “The transition to a circular economy is not just an environmental imperative; it requires a comprehensive international policy framework that fosters innovation, collaboration, and sustainable practices across all sectors.”

Contributing, Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa, leading CEPREC activities in Nigeria, emphasised: “We are excited to contribute to this groundbreaking project! This initiative holds immense potential to drive sustainable energy solutions across Africa by promoting the adoption of circular microgrids.”

The £3.5M Pan-African Circular Economy Powered Renewable Energy Centre (CEPREC) involved a consortium of 11 institutions from the United Kingdom and Africa, with UNILAG leading the activities in Nigeria.

The UNILAG team comprises Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa (Department of Computer Sciences) – Country lead for the project; Dr. Osita Omeje (Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering); Dr. Obiageli Okoye (Department of Sociology) and Dr. Folakemi Ajayi (Department of Economics).

The one-hour launch featured presentations from CEPREC partners, which include: De Montfort University, the University of Warwick, and Chatham House in the UK, alongside Strathmore University (Kenya), the University of Lagos (Nigeria), the University of Namibia (Namibia), the University of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone), Kigali Collaborative Research Centre (Rwanda), Tshwane University of Technology (South Africa), the University of Nairobi (Kenya), and the University of Nigeria (Nigeria).