About ASR

Our Motivation

The transition to a sustainable energy model in Africa – including universal access and climate change, as well as the growing presence of decentralized energy resources in the midst of a much-needed industrialisation process – requires new approaches to policy, regulation, technology, innovation and the skills to achieve this goal. Sound regulation is a prerequisite to attract the – mostly private – investment that African countries need to develop their energy sectors. Education in these matters is urgently needed to address these challenges in a wide range of fields across the electricity, clean cooking and heating value chains.

Regulation stands out as an applied field of knowledge – blending engineering, economics, and law – which is essential to guide the African countries in designing and implementing this transition. 

Activities

The path to create the ASR

The initiative to create the African School of Regulation (ASR) was formally launched in January 2022 via a scientific Knowledge Partnership Agreement among the European University Institute (EUI) through its Florence School of Regulation (FSR), the University of Cape Town (UCT), the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES), the Enel Foundation (EF), the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), and the Energy Nexus Network (TENN). The Rockefeller Foundation (RF), the Global Alliance for the People and the Planet (GEAPP), and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) joined later. The FSR was designated by the Parties to the Agreement to provide logistical support and coordination during the initial phase of the ASR’s creation.

The creation of the ASR was endorsed and supported in various ways by many organisations, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP), the Africa Europe Foundation (AEF), the African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR), the African Minigrids Developers Association (AMDA), the French Development Agency (AFD), Friends of Europe, the Global Association for the Off-grid Solar Energy Industry (GOGLA), Power for All, RES4Africa, and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), as well as the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). The European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) provided substantial support through the provision of technical assistance services.

In September 2022 the Parties to the Agreement appointed Professor Ignacio Pérez-Arriaga as ASR Interim Director and the School hired the first staff members and formally started activities supported by the sister organisation, the Florence School of Regulation.

The official launch of the ASR took place in a parallel event of the African Climate Summit in Nairobi, during the first week of September 2023. A few days later, on occasion of the African Union 4th Ordinary Session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Interregional Infrastructure and Energy (STC-TTIIE), the Ministers of Transport and Energy in their Zanzibar Declaration “welcomed the establishment of the African School of Regulation (ASR) as a pan-African centre of excellence to enhance the capacity of Member States on energy regulation” and requested “the AUC and ECA to work with continental, regional and specialised institutions to support the design and implementation of programmes, courses, and capacity development initiatives of the African School of Regulation (ASR) to support the implementation of AfSEM and CMP.”

In December 2023 a Hosting Agreement was signed between the European University Institute (EUI), representing the Parties to the Knowledge Partnership Agreement and the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) setting out the terms and conditions for the collaborative arrangement agreed upon between ACBF and the EUI for the process of establishing the ASR as an independent and autonomous entity. The ASR staff moved from the EUI in Florence (Italy) to the offices of the ACBF in Accra (Ghana) on September 1^st 2024. On July 1^st 2025, Dr. Abdulkabir Shettima was appointed ASR Director and the School, with its Governance Framework fully implemented, is ready to fulfil its mission.

GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP

The governance of the ASR consists of a Managing Board, an Advisory Committee, an Academic Committee and a Funders Committee, as determined by a Governance Framework.

The Managing Board is responsible for the conduct of the general operations of the ASR and it has been established with the following members:

• Alberto Pototschnig, nominated by the European University Institute.
• Curtin Joseph, nominated by the Rockefeller Foundation, as a funding member.
• Giulia Genuardi, nominated by the Enel Foundation, as a funding member.
• Kandeh Yumkella, nominated by the Advisory Committee.
• Ifeyinwa Ikeonu, independent member.
• Eunice Potani, independent member.
• Gboney William, independent member.
• Ian Mashingaidze, nominated by the ACBF, without voting rights.

The Advisory Committee provides advice on the ASR’s programme of activities, the appointment of Board members, fundraising and on any other specific aspect of relevance to the ASR. Its members are representatives of relevant institutions for the African energy sector and individuals with recognised expertise in the energy sector at the African and international levels. The Advisory Committee has been established with the following members:

• Africa Europe Energy Partnership (AEEP) and GET.transform: Ene Sandra Macharm, Head of Global Partnerships.
• African Development Bank (AfDB): Wale Shonibare, Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation.
• African Energy Commission (AFREC): Rashid Ali Abdallah, Executive Director.
• African Forum of Utility Regulators (AFUR): Honoré Demenou Tapamo, Chairman.
• Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA): Abel Didier Tella, Director General.
• Africa Union Commission (AUC): Sara Elhag, Head of the Energy Division within the Infrastructure and Energy Department. 
• African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD): Tichakunda Simbini, Principal Programme Officer-Energy.
• Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP): Wale Aboyade, Managing Director for Programs, Africa.
• Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL): Anita Otubu, Senior Director of the Universal Energy Facility (UEF).
• Kandeh Yumkella, Chairman of the Energy Governance Coordination Group at the Sierra Leone Government.
• Ishmael Ackah, Technical Advisor in the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition of Ghana, former Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in Ghana.

The Academic Committee is composed of representatives of the ASR regional implementing partners, being universities and research centres with which the ASR collaborates to implement its activities. The Academic Committee provides advice on training and research activities being undertaken by the ASR or other aspects upon request by the Managing Board. The Academic Committee has been established with the following members:

• Zineb Fathi, nominated by PCNS, Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique.

• Peter Twesigye, nominated by the Power Futures Lab, University of Cape Town.

• Samuel Adams, nominated by the Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

• Ibrahim Okumu, nominated by Makerere University.

• Izael da Silva, nominated by Strathmore University.

• Dilinna Lucy Nwobi, nominated by the University of Ibadan.

ASR Rules of Practice

The African School of Regulation (ASR) is committed to independence, integrity, and transparency in all its activities. Our Rules of Practice outline principles for impartial research, ethical training, and fair engagement with partners and donors.
Download the full document: Link to download