Building the Human Capital for a Regional Hydrogen Economy
The development of a competitive green hydrogen market across Eastern and Southern Africa requires sustained investment in human capital alongside regulatory and infrastructure deployment. Hydrogen systems integrate electrochemistry, grid management, safety engineering, carbon accounting, infrastructure regulation, project finance, and environmental compliance. Without targeted capacity building, institutional readiness and operational safety would constrain scalable implementation.
The COMESA Centre of Excellence on Green Hydrogen incorporates structured capacity development as a core pillar of its mandate. Hosted within the regional regulatory coordination framework of Regional Association of Energy Regulators for Eastern and Southern Africa, this pillar ensures that regulatory competence, technical expertise, and policy leadership evolve in parallel with market development.
Regulatory training programs will strengthen national energy regulators in areas such as hydrogen licensing, safety standards, grid integration, renewable coupling, and carbon intensity reporting. This enhances cross border interoperability and supports harmonized implementation of the Regional Hydrogen Regulatory Framework.
Technical and vocational programs will develop certified hydrogen technicians, safety specialists, and system operators capable of managing electrolysis facilities, storage infrastructure, and industrial applications. Standardized curricula will be implemented in partnership with universities and technical institutes through formal cooperation agreements and Memoranda of Understanding to ensure regional recognition and quality assurance.
Executive level training will support policymakers in understanding hydrogen market economics, industrial decarbonization pathways, trade positioning, and climate compliance frameworks. In parallel, specialized training for auditors and verification professionals will ensure the integrity of the regional certification and Guarantees of Origin system.
Scholarship programs, research exchanges, and technical fellowships established under international cooperation agreements will contribute to long term knowledge transfer and regional specialization. A structured regional knowledge platform will facilitate continuous professional development, regulatory dialogue, and dissemination of technical standards.
Through this integrated approach, the Capacity Development pillar ensures that the hydrogen transition in COMESA is supported by a skilled workforce, competent regulators, and informed policymakers. By embedding human capital development within its institutional architecture, the Centre strengthens long term sustainability, reduces implementation risk, and supports scalable market expansion across Member States.
