The Board of Directors of WeLight is pleased to announce the appointment of Romain de Villeneuve as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, with immediate effect.
WeLight, a company founded by our Axian Group, Norfund and Sagecom, provides access to clean, reliable and affordable renewable energy to un-electrified villages in sub-saharan Africa.
Romain brings to the position 22 years of wide knowledge and valuable experience in the areas of telecommunications, services, renewable power and FMCG, having held positions in corporate finance, general management and business development on large scale projects in emerging markets.
Romain holds a Master’s degree of Science in Management from the Institut Supérieur de Gestion (Paris) and an executive programme from E-M Lyon and Cranfield University in the UK.
Romain and his team’s mission will be, among other contributions, to build the growth, positioning and sustainability of WeLight, while pursuing a clear vision for change and value creation in Africa.
Romain has demonstrated throughout his career the ability to work successfully in different environments, designing and leading strategies which resulted in impressive value creation.

Ethiopia agreed in principle with investors holding over 45% of its $1 billion eurobond due 2...
The BCID-AES launches with 500B CFA to fund Sahel infrastructure, asserting sovereignty from the B...
Africa’s AI adoption is accelerating, but its ability to scale depends primarily on foundational i...
Flutterwave acquired Nigerian open banking startup Mono in an all-share deal valued between $...
African billionaires increased their combined net worth by $21.9 billion in 2025. Nigerian b...
Ethiopia begins construction of Africa’s largest airport near Addis Ababa Bishoftu airport planned to handle 110 million passengers annually Project...
Collaborative programs are emerging across Africa to promote inclusive employment Public, private, and international actors are increasingly...
Cabinet approves bill creating the National Media Regulation Council New body replaces the audiovisual regulator set up in 2006 Reform expands...
This week in Africa, Africa CDC continues its clinical trial on mpox, while a new study highlights limits in malaria control efforts. Surveillance against...
The Sundance Institute selected three African films from more than 16,000 submissions across 164 countries. The 2026 festival will run from January 22...
Organizers opened submissions for the sixth Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival from Jan. 8 to Feb. 28, 2026. The festival accepts feature films, short...