The United Kingdom-backed Ayrton Fund has improved access to clean energy for 46 million people across emerging economies, mobilised more than £3bn in public and private finance and supported over 256,000 green jobs, highlighting the growing economic impact of international investment in clean energy innovation.
The figures were contained in a statement issued on Monday ahead of the Ayrton-Oxford Academic Symposium at the University of Oxford.
The symposium is convened by the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund in collaboration with the Africa-Oxford Initiative, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Transforming Energy Access Learning Partnership and UK Research and Innovation.
The statement noted that the fund’s programmes have built a global research and innovation ecosystem spanning 100 countries, involving 78 universities and more than 840 innovators, academics and delivery partners.
It read, “To date, Ayrton-supported innovations have improved access to clean energy for 46 million people across emerging economies, leveraged more than £3bn in public and private finance and supported more than 256,000 green jobs.”
The collaborations have also produced 191 technology patent applications and contributed to more than 2,400 research papers, as efforts intensify to convert scientific research into commercially viable solutions for energy-poor communities.
The organisers said the meeting would examine how universities, innovators, policymakers and investors could work more closely to accelerate energy access, climate resilience and sustainable economic development.
A senior international funds manager at UK Research and Innovation, Caroline Ward, said the Oxford meeting would provide an opportunity to deepen collaboration across the clean energy value chain.
Ward said, “The Ayrton-Oxford Academic Symposium provides an important opportunity to strengthen collaboration between universities, innovators, funders and policymakers across the UK and partner countries. By bringing together global experts, the symposium will help build equitable partnerships, attract investment and accelerate the development of clean energy solutions that support economic growth and climate resilience.”
The Director of the Africa Oxford Initiative, Professor Kevin Marsh, said African researchers would play an increasingly important role in developing solutions to global challenges, including energy poverty and green transitions.
He stated, “African researchers will play a critical role in developing solutions which tackle global challenges such as energy access and green transitions. Translating this research into impact on the ground requires interdisciplinary collaboration between research, innovation and investment.
“This approach underpins the work the Africa Oxford Initiative has done over the past ten years supporting hundreds of outstanding African researchers, scholars and innovators.”
Similarly, a Nigerian academic at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Professor Misbahu Mohammed, said his participation in the TEA-LP had helped reshape renewable energy education at the institution.
According to him, the partnership had strengthened the university’s Master of Science Renewable Energy Programme through the introduction of two practical courses, Local Solutions for Energy Access and Appliances for Off-Grid Communities.
“Most unexpectedly, the past three years have shown me that partnerships like TEA-LP can catalyse curriculum reform faster than traditional university processes, proving that external collaboration and modest funding can drive meaningful educational change when institutions have the will,” Mohammed said.
He added that the courses were helping students move beyond theoretical learning towards practical and market-oriented solutions relevant to Nigeria’s energy challenges.
“My involvement with TEA-LP has significantly strengthened our MSc. Renewable Energy Programme by introducing two practical, context-relevant courses, Local Solutions for Energy Access and Appliances for Off-Grid Communities, that bridge the gap between theory and real-world application. For my students, these courses offer hands-on exposure to locally appropriate technologies and market-ready solutions, better preparing them for careers in Nigeria’s growing energy sector.”
Mohammed said African universities must become active participants rather than passive recipients in designing energy education and innovation strategies. “I am truly grateful for TEA-LP’s vision in recognising that African universities must be active partners, not just recipients, in shaping energy education, and this grant has empowered us to tailor our curriculum to Nigeria’s unique off-grid realities,” he said.
The first phase of the Ayrton Fund, which ran from 2021 to 2026, was delivered through 40 UK-funded programmes involving more than 1,000 partners worldwide. Its second phase is now underway and will run until 2030.
The development comes as Nigeria and other African countries continue to pursue decentralised renewable energy solutions to address persistent electricity access gaps, particularly in rural and off-grid communities
