ACCRA, GHANA – 19 August 2026 – WASCAL has selected 14 youth-led projects from seven West African countries under the first edition of its Innovative Ideas Competition for Sustainable Energy (WISE). The selected projects will receive grants of up to €20,000 each to support the development and implementation of innovative solutions in renewable energy and green hydrogen.
The selected projects come from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo and will be implemented over a maximum period of 15 months..
The projects cover a diverse range of applications, including solar energy, green hydrogen and green ammonia, biohydrogen, biogas, waste-to-energy, electric mobility, clean cooking, cold-chain systems, smart agriculture, climate-resilient agriculture and youth skills development.
“The first edition of WISE demonstrates the creativity and practical problem-solving capacity of young West Africans. The selected projects show how renewable energy and green hydrogen can be applied to real challenges, from energy access and agriculture to mobility, waste management and skills development. WASCAL is pleased to support these ideas as they move towards practical implementation.”
Dr. Bruno Korgo, WASCAL Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen Coordinator
The competition was open to young West Africans, including students, academics, practitioners, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs, as well as eligible associations and organisations across the region. Applicants were invited to propose solutions addressing priority areas such as energy access, green mobility, biomass and waste recovery, the Energy-Water-Food Nexus, productive uses of renewable energy, energy efficiency, women’s and girls’ empowerment, and innovative business models.
Proposals were evaluated based on their relevance, originality and degree of innovation, expected impact, sustainability, applicant qualifications and capacity, budget quality and realism, and overall feasibility. The assessment also considered the potential of the proposed projects to generate tangible benefits for communities, beneficiaries and the environment.
THE LIST OF SELECTED PROJECTS
| No. | Project Leader | Country | Project Title |
| 1 | Mathias Charles Yabe | Ghana | Deploying Solar-Powered Cooling Tricycles and Freezers to Strengthen Renewable-Energy-Driven Food Systems |
| 2 | Ekua Afrakoma Armoo | Ghana | Diversifying Revenue Streams and Decision-Support Frameworks for Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRES) through Multi-Product Bio-Value Chains and Digital Logistics in Ghana |
| 3 | Engr Halem Joshua | Nigeria | Solar Powered Heat Pump Dryer |
| 4 | Stanley Anigbogu | Nigeria | Light House: Community Solar Stations for Off-Grid Access and Climate Education |
| 5 | Engr. Kouetcha Esaie Kombetto | Nigeria | Intelligent Control, Design and Implementation of an IoT-Enabled Renewable Energy System for Smart Agriculture |
| 6 | Professor Elhadji Faye | Senegal | H2-AGROFOREST SYSTEM: Solar-Based Micro Green Hydrogen Production Platform for Soil Regeneration, Agroforestry and Rural Youth Training |
| 7 | Jerome Lavie | Ghana | Biohydrogen Production from Palm Oil Mill Effluent: A Sustainable Solution for Waste-to-Energy Conversion in Ghana |
| 8 | Latifatu Mohammed | Ghana | Decentralised Green Ammonia Production for Smallholder Farmers in Ghana: A Pilot Renewable Energy-Hydrogen Solution for Sustainable Agriculture (DEGAS-GH) |
| 9 | Engr. Uzochukwu M. Mbamalu | Nigeria | Solar-Integrated Electric Mobility for Decentralized Cold Chain Operations in Africa (SolEM4DCC) |
| 10 | Emmanuel Asaam | Ghana | Waste-to-Watts: Transforming Coconut Biomass Waste into Green Energies |
| 11 | Dr Karidio Daouda Idrissa Oumoul-Kairou | Niger | Optimized Biogas Production for the Sustainable Recycling of Plastic and Organic Waste at Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey |
| 12 | Komlan Djiwonou Woenagnon | Togo | Integrated Solar-Heated Biogas Systems for Electricity and Clean Cooking in Rural Communities of Togo |
| 13 | Alpha Abdoulaye Lansar | Mali | Energy-Water-Food Nexus | Smart Solar-Powered Greenhouse for Climate-Resilient Agriculture in the Sahel |
| 14 | Alou Tamboura | Burkina Faso | Solar PV Resilience: Training and Economic Integration of Young IDPs and Young People from Peri-Urban Areas of Ouagadougou in Solar PV |
WASCAL congratulates the 14 selected project leaders and recognises the efforts of all applicants who participated in the first edition of WISE. Through the competition, WASCAL seeks to create opportunities for promising ideas to move from concept towards implementation and contribute to practical, sustainable energy solutions across West Africa.
About WISE
The WASCAL Innovative Ideas Competition for Sustainable Energy (WISE) is an initiative of WASCAL’s Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen Coordination that supports innovative renewable energy and green hydrogen projects and research and development ideas across West Africa. Launched in 2025 with financial support from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), WISE focuses on solutions that can contribute to sustainable energy development, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities.