We’ll ensure sustainable energy in West Africa by 2030, says ECOWAS agency

The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) says it is positioned to ensure sustainable energy across member states by 2030.

Francis Simpore, executive director, ECREEE, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during a news conference with the ministry of power, ahead of the ECOWAS sustainable energy forum (ESEF) 2022.

Simpore said the ESEF, scheduled to hold in Abuja between October 31 and November 1, seeks to bring together key stakeholders in the energy sector to discuss and proffer solutions to the energy challenges in some member states.

“So, the first objective of the ESEF 2022 is to inform and sensitise all stakeholders on the progress made by ECOWAS, by highlighting the role of each one,” he said.

“Secondly, it is to highlight the obstacles and how we are going to overcome these obstacles; and we are also going to share the best practices and innovations in sustainable energy.

“Finally, we will discuss how we can stimulate the economic sector through the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.”

Also speaking at the press briefing, Hyacinth Elayo, policy officer, ECREEE, said the forum would bring together diverse groups from within and outside the region as well as the private sector.

Elayo said the forum would also discuss how West African countries could ensure a safe energy transition in 2030 to low carbon energy, in line with sustainable development goal seven (SDG seven).

“We have a pressing energy crisis that is unfolding as we speak. So we will address the immediate energy concerns and how we can get power energy and electricity to our people,” Elayo said.

“You know, roughly 50 percent of the population still do not have any access to energy, modern energy services, and the benefits which that provides. So we have to address that frantically.

“But going forward, there has to be a steadfast effort as well, looking at the mid-term, long-term plans.

“There are the energy security issues that we are facing, high oil prices, and of course, the urgency of the climate change catastrophe that is unfolding before our eyes. 

“So, while we address these issues that face us today, it is critical that we make conscious efforts towards transition.

“How we can have more clean energy sources installed, how we can increase the share of renewable in the overall energy mix going forward, and that this exercise is not just a benefit, it makes economic sense as well.

“There have been studies by UNDP that show that if we are able to transit, it has the benefits of protecting the environment for the future generations.

“Let us utilise all the resources that we are endowed with, which can be natural gas, solar, wind, hydro, and bio-energy, to ensure that we transit and we have a cleaner energy trajectory going forward.

“The idea is that by 2030, ECOWAS region would have attained universal access to energy.” 

On his part, Abubakar Ali-Dapshima, director, renewable and rural power access, ministry of power, said the government was putting structures in place for energy transition by promoting renewable energy on a large scale.

“When we talk of energy transition, we want to transit from the normal conventional way that we generate electricity to a more carbon friendly energy generation and efficiency,” he said.

“The ministry is actually putting things in place to transit, by promoting renewable energy in a large scale in the area of hydro-power.”