The African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) convened the Strengthening Methane Action in Africa Project Inception Meeting on 8–9 October 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together representatives of African methane experts from the continent’s five sub-regions. The meeting formed part of the Strengthening Methane Action in Africa project, an 18-month initiative supported by the Global Methane Hub and TrustAfrica. The project seeks to identify and strengthen the technical capacities of African methane experts while establishing a comprehensive African Methane Experts Database. It responds to the need for stronger coordination of methane expertise and abatement efforts across the continent. The inception meeting provided an opportunity to introduce participants to the project and the African Methane Community of Practice (AMCoP), map African methane experts for inclusion in the African Methane Experts Database and advance the development of an Action Plan for African Methane Experts.
Connecting African Methane Expertise through AMCoP
The meeting introduced participants to the African Methane Community of Practice, envisioned as a platform for connecting experts and institutions working on methane-related issues across Africa. Through stronger linkages among existing actors, AMCoP is intended to support information sharing, collaboration, and knowledge exchange on methane action across the continent. The broader project will also support the generation of context-specific evidence and practical guidance on methane reduction pathways in Africa.
Mapping Expertise through the African Methane Experts Database
One of the main discussion areas was the African Methane Experts Database, an online platform developed to profile and connect African experts working on methane emissions and methane abatement strategies. The database covers expertise across key methane-emitting sectors, including agriculture, energy, and waste. It is intended to improve the visibility of African technical expertise, facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration, and strengthen access to specialised capacity across the continent. Through the project, the database will continue to be strengthened and expanded to provide a more comprehensive resource for connecting African methane expertise and supporting the African Methane Community of Practice.
Developing an Action Plan for African Methane Experts
The meeting also provided a platform to advance the development of an Action Plan for African Methane Experts. The Action Plan is intended to support stronger African expertise, collaboration and technical capacity for methane mitigation, while recognising the different methane priorities and capacity needs across countries and sectors. Together, the database, AMCoP and Action Plan provide complementary avenues for strengthening connections among African methane experts and supporting greater coordination of technical expertise across the continent.
Strengthening Africa’s Capacity for Methane Action
The Strengthening Methane Action in Africa project provides an opportunity to make African methane expertise more visible, accessible and connected. By strengthening the network of experts working across agriculture, energy and waste, the initiative can improve access to relevant technical capacity and create stronger opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration. For African experts, stronger connections can also support greater participation in climate and environmental processes and create avenues for technical expertise to contribute to methane action at national, regional and continental levels. Ultimately, strengthening Africa’s pool of methane expertise can help support the development of methane abatement approaches that respond to the continent’s different national and sectoral contexts while advancing sustainable development priorities.