The First Global Business Conference and Competition for Off-grid Lighting in Africa has been scheduled for Accra, Ghana, 5-8 May, the World Bank Group announced in a statement.
It said the Lighting Africa 2008 conference was designed to increase awareness of the significant market opportunities for improving lighting products and services and to link global investors with local suppliers and service providers.
“It will also promote entrepreneurial networking; share market intelligence, business, and financing model structures for lighting projects; showcase innovative products; and promote business development,” the statement said.
Lighting Africa is a joint IFC and World Bank initiative that seeks to provide modern lighting by the year 2030 to the 250 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa who lack access to electricity.
More than 400 lighting industry companies and entrepreneurs from 52 countries worldwide have registered to attend the conference and competition, with speakers expected to include representatives from Osram, Philips, and Coca-Cola.
The Lighting Africa programme was officially launched in September 2007 to facilitate the development of a robust off-grid lighting market in Africa, supporting business development and increasing economic opportunities.