Power
Koumoin Arbaduis, ECOWAS’ Acting Head, Conventional Energy, speaking during his presentation at ECOWAS Parliament’s Delocalised Joint Committee Meeting on Tuesday, in Dakar, Senegal.
THE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday said the sub-region’s inadequate electricity supply sharply contrasted with its vast natural resources, vowing to ensure reliable and sustainable energy.
ECOWAS’ Acting Head, Conventional Energy, Koumoin Arbaduis, made this known at ECOWAS Parliament’s Delocalised Joint Committee Meeting on Energy and Mines; Infrastructure; Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, in Dakar, Senegal.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the five-day event, which began on Monday, is themed, “Harnessing Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification and Empowerment of Rural Economies in the ECOWAS Region: The Role of ECOWAS Parliament.”
Speaking in a presentation on “ECOWAS Regional Energy Policies and Key Energy Statistics,” Arbaduis said West Africa continued to grapple with inadequate electricity supply, low access rates and high transmission costs.
This, he noted, was notwithstanding the sub-region possessing the world’s most abundant energy resources, like crude oil, natural gas, biomass resources, uranium, coal, and an estimated 25,000 megawatts of hydroelectric potential.
“There is need to bridge the regional electricity gap, as the sub-region’s abundant resources contrast sharply with the prevailing power shortages and limited electricity access in West Africa.
“The overarching vision is to build a community with access to modern, reliable and sustainable energy services for improved living standards and socio-economic development,” he said.
Arbaduis highlighted the major challenges to include insufficient generation capacity, low electricity access rates, high technical and commercial losses, expensive power generation and transmission, and heavy dependence on petroleum products.
He said that, over the years, ECOWAS adopted a series of policies and frameworks to address these constraints, and promote sustainable energy development across member states.
“The inaugural ECOWAS Energy Policy, adopted in 1982 following the global oil crises of the 1970s, laid the foundation for regional cooperation in energy supply, grid integration and petroleum exploration.
“The 2003 ECOWAS Energy Protocol provided the legal framework for long-term cooperation, investment and trade in the sector, while creating the basis for the West African Power Pool initiative.
“The adopted 2006 ECOWAS/UEMOA White Paper on Access to Energy Services for Rural and Peri-urban Populations, sought to expand access to electricity and modern energy services in underserved communities,” he said.
He further said that ECOWAS also adopted a Renewable Energy Policy, as well as an Energy Efficiency Policy in 2013.
“Both initiatives were designed to increase the share of clean energy in the regional electricity mix, reduce energy losses and promote access to improved cooking facilities,” he said.
He said that the commission also adopted both the ECOWAS Bioenergy Policy and the Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access in 2017.
“Sustainable energy development must be inclusive and ensure equal participation of women and men in the sector,” he said.
He said that in 2023 ECOWAS also adopted emerging energy technologies, such as the ECOWAS Green Hydrogen Policy Framework and Strategy.
“The initiative, which targets the production of at least 0.5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, seeks to position West Africa among the world’s most competitive producers and suppliers of green hydrogen,” he said.
The ECOWAS Conventional Energy Head also said the commission adopted the ECOWAS Energy Policy in July 2023 as a response to changing economic, technological and climate realities.
This, he said, aimed to improve governance, guarantee universal access to affordable and reliable electricity, diversify energy sources, promote energy efficiency and expand access to clean cooking solutions (NAN)
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Tags: ECOWAS W/Africa Electricity