The ECOWAS Parliament has launched a fresh push for a renewable energy revolution across West Africa, declaring that access to electricity must become the cornerstone of efforts to tackle poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and economic stagnation in the region’s vast rural communities.
At the opening of a five-day Delocalized Joint Committee Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, lawmakers warned that despite possessing some of the world’s richest solar resources, West Africa remains trapped in an energy paradox that has left millions of people without access to electricity and denied rural economies the opportunity to prosper.
The gathering, which brings together parliamentarians, government officials, development partners, energy experts and private-sector stakeholders from across the ECOWAS region, is focusing on how renewable energy can be deployed to transform rural communities, boost agricultural productivity and stimulate inclusive economic growth.
Speaking on behalf of Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, Fourth Deputy Speaker Hon. Billay Tunkara said the region could no longer afford to treat renewable energy merely as an electricity project.
Instead, he argued, it should be seen as a strategic economic tool capable of transforming the fortunes of rural populations that continue to suffer from poor infrastructure, limited opportunities and persistent deprivation.
According to him, expanding access to clean energy would unlock new opportunities for farmers, women entrepreneurs and young people while accelerating industrialisation and strengthening regional development.
“Renewable energy is not merely a technical response to electricity demand. It is a key driver in transforming economic activities, particularly in rural areas,” he said.
The renewed focus on rural electrification comes amid growing concerns that West Africa’s development ambitions are being undermined by chronic energy shortages. Across the region, millions of households remain disconnected from national grids, while businesses spend huge sums on diesel-powered generators to compensate for unreliable electricity supply.
Energy experts have long identified inadequate access to power as one of the biggest obstacles to economic development in the region, limiting industrial growth, constraining agricultural value chains and weakening healthcare and education services.
The situation is even more severe in rural communities where access to electricity remains among the lowest in the world.
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, Head of the Senegalese Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Guy Marius Sagna, revealed that electricity access among rural households in the ECOWAS region remains at only about 12 per cent despite the sub-region’s enormous renewable energy potential.
He described the disparity as one of the greatest contradictions facing West Africa.
“The figures speak for themselves. Our region possesses exceptional solar potential, yet millions of our people remain without electricity. This gap between available resources and their utilisation must be urgently addressed,” he said.
Sagna argued that achieving energy sovereignty has become essential for the region’s future, insisting that sustainable development would remain elusive unless countries gain greater control over their energy resources and infrastructure.
He linked the region’s energy challenges directly to broader development concerns, including rising unemployment, persistent poverty and food insecurity.
The urgency of the issue was echoed by Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Energy and Mines, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, and Infrastructure, Hon. Fanta Conte, who disclosed that less than 40 per cent of the rural population across ECOWAS member states currently has access to electricity.
She noted that in some of the region’s most remote communities, the figure falls below 10 per cent.
According to her, the consequences extend far beyond lighting homes.
Without electricity, healthcare centres struggle to preserve vaccines and operate equipment, schools are unable to provide modern learning tools, businesses remain small and uncompetitive, while farmers lose opportunities to process and add value to agricultural produce.
Conte said parliamentarians have a critical role to play in ensuring that regional energy commitments are translated into concrete actions through legislation, oversight and implementation at national levels.
The discussions in Dakar are taking place at a time when many African countries are increasingly turning to renewable energy solutions to bridge electricity deficits, expand energy access and meet climate commitments.
Countries such as Senegal have emerged as important examples within the region, investing heavily in solar energy projects and diversifying their energy mix to reduce dependence on traditional energy sources.
Tunkara praised Senegal’s progress under President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, noting that investments in renewable energy infrastructure have expanded access to electricity for hundreds of rural households while strengthening the country’s drive toward energy independence.
Observers said the outcome of the Dakar meeting could have significant implications for the future of energy development in West Africa.
Beyond improving electricity access, advocates argue that a successful renewable energy strategy could stimulate local industries, create jobs, enhance food production, attract investment and improve living standards across a region that is home to more than 400 million people.
The meeting, which runs until June 19, will feature technical presentations, policy deliberations and field visits to renewable energy installations in Mboursine village, with lawmakers expected to produce recommendations aimed at accelerating rural electrification across the ECOWAS bloc.
For a region seeking solutions to some of its most stubborn development challenges, the message emerging from Dakar is clear: the road to economic transformation may well begin with the power generated by the sun.
Michael Olugbode
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