The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy & Digitalisation, Mr Sediko Douka, has highlighted the regional achievements in the energy sector across the regional bloc.
These achievements were announced during the ECOWAS weekly engagements held on Tuesday, with regional media highlighting its commitment to addressing the energy challenges in the sub-region.
However, as Mr Douka outlined, some challenges create a deficiency in electricity production and transmission, including high tariffs, limited energy accessibility, and underdeveloped renewable energy sources.
In response, ECOWAS maintained it had established specialised agencies such as the West African Power Pool (WAPP), Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA), Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), and West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA).
These agencies have been instrumental in implementing various programs, including the implementation of the WAPP Master Plan (2019-2033) which involved 75 regional projects and the construction of 23,000 km of power interconnection lines and the generation of 16,000 MW of electricity, Mr Douka said.
Also, the agencies oversee “the launch and operationalisation of the Regional Electricity Market in 2018, which promotes regional cooperation and trade in electricity, fostering a more integrated energy market, the promotion of renewable energies and the diversifying energy sources to improve sustainability.”
While responding to journalists’ queries, Mr Douka said, “ECOWAS is also working tirelessly to enhance access to electricity for both on-grid and off-grid networks.”
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