ZESCO Calls for Energy "Co-creation, Not Isolation" at EFFA 2025 Closing
In a powerful address at the closing of the Energy Forum for Africa (EFFA) conference, ZESCO Chief Operating Officer Engineer Peter Chamfya laid out a bold vision for the future of the continent's energy sector, emphasizing that its challenges "cannot be addressed in isolation."
“EFFA 2025 has truly been a convergence of brilliant minds, innovative solutions, and bold ideas,” stated Chamfya, addressing a gathering of international ministers and industry leaders. He declared that the discussions had made it clear that the sector must evolve, moving Zambia from a “heavy reliance on hydropower to a diversified mix that embraces solar, wind, biomass, and other clean technologies.”
A central theme of his speech was the critical need for collaboration. “ZESCO cannot achieve this vision alone,” he affirmed. “The future of energy lies in co-creation, not isolation.” He detailed plans to work with private investors and innovators to “unlock investments for large-scale renewable projects” and “deploy off-grid and mini-grid solutions to reach rural communities.”
He also placed a strong emphasis on the consumer, stating the utility is “rethinking not only how we generate electricity, but also how we transmit and distribute it, so that access to energy becomes not a privilege for a few, but a universal right for all.”
Concluding the evening’s awards ceremony, Chamfya framed the event as a beginning, not an end. “Let us not view this moment as an ending, but as a beginning,” he urged attendees. “Together, we are not just powering homes and industries, we are powering Zambia’s future, and indeed Africa’s future.”