Africa Urban Lighting Workshop in Rabat: empowering regional cooperation
Rabat took centre stage at the end of September 2025, hosting the first-ever Africa Urban Lighting Workshop, an event that gathered African cities, experts, and policymakers to discuss ideas on the future of sustainable lighting across the continent.
Organised by LUCI in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development (MTEDD), the General Directorate of Local Authorities (DGCT), the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency (AMEE) and GIZ, the event brought together over 60 participants to promote exchanges from across the continent.
The Africa Urban Lighting Workshop marked the culmination of three days of learning and collaboration that began with the final in-person training session of the AVMEP project. Together, these sessions highlighted the important role of Moroccan local authorities to foster African city-to-city cooperation.
Building bridges through light
Held on the 26th of September, the Africa Urban Lighting Workshop followed in the footsteps of LUCI’s previous African initiatives — from the Urban Lighting Conference in Dakar (2017) to the LUCI Annual General Meeting in Rabat (2018), and the Urban Lighting training in Ouagadougou (2019) — each reinforcing the call for more regional dialogue and mutual support. The goal since 2017 — responding to LUCI’s strategic plan (2017-2027) — is to create an open and constructive space for African cities to learn from each other, exchange good practices, and strengthen cooperation on public lighting as a driver for sustainable urban development.
What is now added is the ability to raise awareness and strengthen capacities with experts from the LUCI network! Lighting designer Roger Narboni, urbanist Nicolas Houel, ecologists Hélène Foglar and David Loose, and engineer Meryeme Bourass shared perspectives on the key challenges facing our cities: from energy transition and maintenance to biodiversity protection and cultural identity at night. These exchanges gave participants fresh perspectives on how lighting strategies can support security, inclusion, and environmental balance in their region.
In her opening remarks, the Mayor of Rabat and President of LUCI Fatiha El Moudni underscored the city’s commitment to making urban lighting a pillar of sustainable development and regional cooperation, while highlighting Rabat’s pioneering role in energy efficiency and inclusive public spaces.
From learning to leadership: AVMEP’s final chapter
The previous two days, 24–25 September, were dedicated to the AVMEP project’s final in-person training session, where representatives from 13 Moroccan cities deepened their technical and strategic knowledge of urban lighting. This session marked the fifth and final major AVMEP meeting before the project’s conclusion in December 2025.
Moderated by LUCI consultant Camille Chaumeron-Jourdan and a team of international experts led by Nicolas Houel, these hands-on modules combined theory and practice. Through collaborative exercises, group reflections, and a unique “expert capsule” format, participants worked on urban lighting master plan scenarios addressing themes such as safety, heritage, biodiversity, and smart-city integration.
According to Chaumeron-Jourdan, “there has been a real collective progression — participants are now exchanging at a much higher level, applying multidimensional thinking that balances technical, environmental and aesthetic considerations”. She also noted that many cities have already started applying lessons learnt, such as using warmer color temperatures during luminaire renewals and new photometric testing protocols, directly inspired by previous AVMEP study tours.
For Nicolas Houel, President of L’Observatoire de la Nuit, the Rabat sessions confirmed the strength and maturity of the network: “We now have a cohesive and determined group of professionals, capable of adapting international methods to their local contexts. Moroccan cities have reached a level where they can start sharing knowledge with peers from across Africa”.
Lighting the way forward for African cooperation
A defining feature of the Rabat event was the active participation of sub-Saharan cities, notably Lomé (Togo) and Yaoundé (Cameroon), who shared their own challenges and innovations. Presentations such as that from Golfe 1 (Lomé) illustrated how public lighting can underpin local development — improving safety, supporting economic activity, and enhancing community life — while navigating resource constraints. The dialogue between Moroccan and sub-Saharan representatives generated powerful exchanges, with Moroccan participants taking on the role of facilitators.
Houel highlighted one particularly symbolic moment: “When Morocco offered its support to Togo to access its administrative urban lighting frameworks, it showed that knowledge transfer is not just possible — it’s already happening”.
As the second day closed with the AVMEP diploma ceremony, there was a palpable sense of pride and shared purpose. Participants celebrated not only their achievements but also the emergence of a vibrant community of practitioners dedicated to transforming Africa’s cities after dark.
A new energy for sustainable nights
From the technical rigour of the AVMEP workshops to the regional dialogue emerging from the Africa Urban Lighting Workshop, Rabat 2025 demonstrated how collaboration can accelerate progress toward sustainable, inclusive, and creative urban lighting worldwide.
As cities across Africa continue to face growing urbanisation and are at the forefront of environmental challenges, initiatives like these contribute to build the future of urban lighting and inspire cities to lead the way and become lighthouses for the continent.
Photo credits
©LUCI Association
