ECOWAS agency's Affirms dedication to sustainable energy

The Center for Renewable and Energy Efficiency of the Economic Community of West African States has reaffirmed its commitment to supplying sustainable energy to all ECOWAS member states by 2030. This was announced on Tuesday in Abuja during the closing ceremony of the seventh edition of the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum 2022 by Mr. Francis Simpore, Executive Director of ECREE.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Nigerian Ministry of Power is collaborating with ECREEE to organize the Forum's seventh edition (ESEF2022). The Forum ESEF 2023's eighth iteration will take place in Cape Verde, according to NAN.
The agency's director stated that by bringing together significant players in the energy industry to discuss and give answers to the energy difficulties in member nations, it was confirming its commitment to ensure the sustainability of renewable energy.

“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. Additionally, he said that the ESEF had promoted real advancement in achieving the sustainable energy goals for the ECOWAS region.

“This forum has also facilitated 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.

Malam Abubakar Aliyu, the minister of power for Nigeria, also spoke. In his closing remarks, he thanked the ECOWAS commission for allowing the ESEF to take place in Nigeria and emphasized how crucial energy is to human growth.

“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."

References
Punchng, 'ECOWAS agency reaffirms commitment to sustainable energy' (online, 2022) <https://punchng.com/ecowas-agency-reaffirms-commitment-to-sustainable-energy/>.