ECOWAS reaffirms commitment to sustainable energy

The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable and Energy Efficiency (ECREE), has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure sustainable energy across ECOWAS Member States by 2030.

Mr Francis Simpore, Executive Director, ECREE made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, during the closing ceremony of the seventh edition of ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF) 2022.

The 7th Edition of the Forum (ESEF2022) by ECREEE is organized in collaboration with Nigeria’s Ministry of Power.

Meanwhile, the eighth edition of the Forum ESEF 2023 will be hosted in Cape Verde.

The director said the agency is reaffirming its commitment to ensure the sustainability of renewable energy by bringing together key stakeholders in the energy sector to discuss and proffer solutions to the energy challenges in member states.

“Our strategic objective is to integrate the operation of the Community’s national power grids into a unified regional electricity market to ensure a stable, regular, and reliable supply of competitively priced electricity to the citizens of the ECOWAS member States in the medium term.

“The ECOWAS Commission specialised energy agency together with key stakeholders like ministry of power among others are working tirelessly to address challenges of power.

“We plan to achieve this objective by promoting and developing power generation and transmission facilities and equipment and coordinating electricity trade among the ECOWAS member states.

“The ECREE is also working on improving energy access for the ECOWAS rural population and actively promoting the deployment of off-grid energy solutions, such as clean energy mini-grids and stand-alone technologies.

“To this end, several regional projects are at the stage of implementation within the region.

“We aim to have an access consolidated rate of 70 per cent by 2030,” Simpore said.

He also added that ESEF has fostered concrete progress in the attainment of the ECOWAS region’s sustainable energy targets.

“This forum has also facilitate investment opportunities in the ECOWAs region’s sustainable energy sector.

“By providing a platform for networking and improving the policy and regulatory landscape for private sector investment through engagement between ECOWAS policy makers, regional and international private sector players, and financial institutions,” he said.

Also speaking, Malam Abubakar Aliyu, Nigeria’s Minister of Power in his closing remarks expressed his appreciation to the ECOWAS commission for hosting ESEF in Nigeria while noting that the importance of energy to human development cannot be over-emphasised.

“We all know the energy pay a key role in nation building and development.

“This forum has provided opportunity for investors to come and know the potential of Nigeria and tap into the so that there will be a win win situation for them and us to grow the energy sector.

On his part, Mr Alexandre Monteiro, Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy Cape Verde appreciated ECREE for the privilege to host the eight edition of ESEF and Nigeria for its hospitality.

“I want to thank ECREE for organizing this forum for its member states to provide solutions to the long standing challenges of energy in West Africa.

“We learnt and discussed a lot to take home and work with it for a sustainable energy in our country’s energy sector.

“We are also happy to host the next edition of ESEF in Cape Verde and we also promise a warm reception because hospitality is part of what we stand for,” he said.

NAN also reports that awards were given to some participants in the energy sector as a token of appreciation and encouragement to do better.

NAN reports that ECOWAS Statutory Bodies adopted a Master Plan for the development of regional power generation and transmission infrastructure 2019-2033 aiming to generate 16,000MW and construct 23,00km interconnection electric lines.

It is a portfolio of 75 regional projects amounting 37 billion dollars.

The generation, the regional body said, will promote the utilisation of renewable energy and natural gas, very abundant in our region.

The ECOWAS predicted that by 2023, contractors could buy electricity from the market.