Electricity & Education: Complementarity in the Service of Human Progress

666 million people around the world lack access to electricity. Among them are millions of children at risk of dropping out of school. How can they study after dark without light? How can they learn about the world without internet access or digital resources?
Numerous studies show that electrifying schools improves education quality and reduces dropout rates. Energy is a key driver for equal opportunity — a mission shared by the Fondation Nexans and many partner organizations.

“The Fondation Nexans aims to support education and training in technical, energy, and environmental fields.”
This is one of its three core missions, as detailed in our “About” section.

This support takes two main forms:

1. Funding education and training for young people
2. Improving learning conditions by electrifying schools

According to UNICEF and the International Energy Agency (IEA), nearly 90 million children in Africa attended unelectrified schools in 2023.
This lack of electricity severely limits learning opportunities: students can’t study after dark, have restricted access to digital tools, and teachers are discouraged from working in remote areas.

Reliable energy is a foundation for educational equality.

In Brazil, the national program Luz para Todos nas Escolas showed that electrifying rural schools reduced dropout rates by 16–27%. In Sub-Saharan Africa, many children walk for hours to reach electrified schools — a direct cause of absenteeism and dropout.

Electricity is not just infrastructure; it’s the foundation of educational success and a powerful tool for equal opportunity.

In a recent blog post on UNICEF's website, Ingrid Sanchez Tapia, Senior Education & Climate-Resilience Strategist at the organization, explained: 

Clean energy powers more than just lights – it powers learning. To achieve Sustainable Development Goals 4 (quality education) and 7 (affordable, clean energy for all), improving reliable clean energy access in schools is critical, so children and young people can develop the skills they need to thrive and build a green future. 

When Electrification Transforms Education

Research and field experience show that education and energy access are not just correlated — they are complementary.
As Melissa Maurice, training program manager at IECD, explains:

“When we talk about development, we often think of electricity and education as two separate pillars. But in reality, they feed into each other: without electricity, education cannot progress; and without education, electrification cannot advance. 
However, electrification only has a lasting impact if local skills exist to design, implement, and maintain it. Education and vocational training create precisely these skills, which in turn accelerate and secure electrification projects."

Thus, a circular relationship exists:
More electrification → More training needs → More skills → Better electrification and more jobs.

The Fondation Nexans: Supporting Infrastructure and Learning

Since 2013, the Fondation has been improving education in multiple regions by acting on both infrastructure and teaching quality.

• Women of Africa (Benin)
  With the Foundation’s support, this association created the Women Solar Academy — a training center focused on electricity and solar power, with programs especially for young women.

“Without energy, there is no development. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, we helped hundreds of children continue remote learning — impossible without electricity,”
says Patricia Djomseu, President of Women of Africa.

• Posodev (Ivory Coast)
  Selected in the 2024 call for projects, this association manages a youth empowerment center in rural Hambol. The Fondation’s support funded the electrification of the main building and installed autonomous systems providing reliable power to ten local families.
• Accesmad (Madagascar)
  Active in over 15 rural schools, Accesmad provides digital educational kits powered by solar suitcases. The project equips schools with solar panels, Jirodesk solar computers, and access to a digital library of 5,000+ educational resources.
  The association also trains school staff to manage and maintain this innovative technology.
• IECD (Lebanon, Morocco, Ivory Coast)
  Since 2014, with Fondation Nexans' support, the IECD has trained nearly 1,000 students annually in electrical and electromechanical engineering. Many graduates later join the Nexans Group in their home countries.

Today, through the work of its partner associations, the Fondation Nexans supports the education of thousands of children across three continents.