Hargeisa, Somaliland – Engineer Fihima Mohamed Hassan, an electrical engineer from Somaliland, has been selected as a fellow for the competitive 2025 Africa Fellowship for Young Energy Leaders (AFYEL), joining a cohort of promising young professionals working to advance renewable energy access across the continent.
In an exclusive statement, Hassan expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity. “I am delighted to share that I have been selected as a Fellow for the Africa Fellowship for Young Energy Leaders – AFYEL Program!” she said. “This fellowship brings together passionate young professionals across Africa to build skills in renewable energy, leadership, and entrepreneurship.”
The six-month professional fellowship, which typically runs from October through March, offers rigorous training across renewable energy technologies through a virtual format with a one-month internship component. The program aims to address Africa’s significant energy access gap, which affects approximately 600 million people across the continent.
Fellowship Structure and Opportunities
The AFYEL program, initiated by The Renewable Energy Technology Training Institute in partnership with RETTI Virtual University, government agencies, academic institutions, and private sector companies, provides comprehensive training through multiple specialized tracks.
Hassan specifically highlighted the practical aspects of the curriculum, noting that “over the next 24 weeks, I will be engaging in expert trainings, mentorship, and practical projects, including the Adopt a Company Initiative, to deepen my expertise and scale innovative clean energy solutions.”
Professional Background and Vision
Engineer Fihima Mohamed Hassan brings substantial qualifications to the fellowship, holding an MBA in Project Planning and Management in addition to her electrical engineering background. She currently serves as CEO of F&H Solar Company, a venture she co-founded that aims to “provide cheap and affordable electricity solutions for rural communities and also to enhance capacity skills for young Female Engineers”.
Her selection for this competitive program places her among other distinguished AFYEL alumni who have described the program as “transformational” and credited it with opening “a lot of educational and job opportunities”. Another past fellow, Iboh Shalom Chilaru, noted that the program’s “intensive knowledge incubation” helped transform an entrepreneurial idea into reality through exceptional mentorship.
Addressing Africa’s Energy Challenges
The fellowship comes at a critical time for Africa’s energy sector. According to program documentation, AFYEL aims to “churn out a competent workforce for the renewable energy industry and build entrepreneurs who will advance access to clean energy to 600 million in Africa without access”. This ambitious goal aligns with broader efforts to retain young African talent in crucial sectors like renewable energy, which program organizers describe as “paramount importance to unlock Africa’s sustainable future”.
The program employs a multidisciplinary approach to selection, with applications “evaluated by a multidisciplinary panel using clear criteria like technical fit, motivation, and potential for impact”. Fellows typically range from 21-35 years old and must demonstrate both academic qualifications in relevant fields and strong English proficiency.
Future Impact and Women’s Empowerment
For Hassan, the fellowship represents more than personal advancement. She explicitly connected the opportunity to her broader mission in Somaliland, stating: “I look forward to using this opportunity to strengthen my work through the EnergyTalk Initiative, drive sustainable energy access, and empower more women and youth in Somaliland’s energy sector.”
This focus on gender empowerment aligns with her established work through F&H Solar Company, where she has prioritized enhancing capacity skills for young female engineers. Her participation in AFYEL may further amplify these efforts, as the program specifically aims to create “a networking platform for participants in order to maximize impact”.
As Hassan begins the fellowship this fall, she joins a growing network of African energy leaders working to translate their technical training into tangible solutions for their communities. With the continent’s renewable energy sector poised for significant growth, programs like AFYEL represent critical investments in the human capital necessary to drive a sustainable energy transition across Africa.
