View source for Renewable Energy Research in Africa: A Bibliometric Review

= Renewable Energy Research in Africa: A Bibliometric Review (1979–2022) =

== Introduction ==
Renewable energy has emerged as a cornerstone of Africa’s sustainable development agenda. With abundant solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal potential, the continent has opportunities to leapfrog into a low-carbon future. To understand how renewable energy research has evolved across Africa, a bibliometric study (1979–2022) examined key trends, collaborations, and research gaps.

== Key Findings ==
* '''Growth in Publications:''' Research output on renewable energy in Africa has steadily increased since the 2000s, with a sharp rise after 2010.  
* '''Dominant Countries:''' South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Kenya are leading contributors, reflecting their growing investments in higher education and energy transition programs.  
* '''Research Themes:''' Major topics include solar photovoltaics, bioenergy, wind energy, hydropower, and energy efficiency.  
* '''Collaboration Networks:''' International partnerships, especially with Europe and Asia, drive much of Africa’s renewable energy research. However, intra-African collaboration remains limited.  
* '''Gaps Identified:''' Research often focuses on technology development but less on deployment models, financing, and policy integration needed for large-scale impact.  

== Implications for Energy Access ==
* Evidence shows the need to '''strengthen local research ecosystems''' to address context-specific challenges.  
* Increased '''South–South collaboration''' could accelerate knowledge transfer across the continent.  
* Research should move beyond technical potential to include '''policy, business models, and socio-economic impacts''' of renewable energy systems.  

== Conclusion ==
Africa’s renewable energy research landscape is growing, yet uneven. Closing gaps in collaboration and policy-oriented research will be critical for scaling renewable energy solutions that can support universal energy access by 2030.  

== Attribution ==
This article is based on:  
'''Ding, Y. et al. (2024). "Renewable Energy Research in Africa: A Bibliometric Review (1979–2022)." International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 19(2), pp. 373–384.'''  
Licensed under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0]. Original available at: [https://www.iieta.org/journals/ijsdp/paper/10.18280/ijsdp.190205 IIETA Journal].

[[Category:Nigeria Off-Grid Solar Knowledge Hub]]
[[Category:Nigeria]]