The 8th edition of the Energy and Sustainable Development Forum (ECOWAS, ESEF) and the launch of the ‘ROGEAP’ on 12 October 2023 in Praia

The ECOWAS Commission is organising the 8th ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF) and the launch of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project on 12 October 2023 in Praia, Cabo Verde.

ROGEAP is a regional initiative implemented by the ECOWAS Commission and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), with support from the World Bank. ROGEAP aims to increase access to sustainable electricity services in the 15 ECOWAS member states and in four other African countries (Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Mauritania and Chad), for the benefit of households, businesses and public community health and education infrastructure, through a harmonised regional approach. It is funded by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS) to the tune of US$338.7 million, and aims to provide technical and financial support to develop the regional market for off-grid solar systems in West and Central Africa.

In line with the objectives of ESEF 2023, ROGEAP will also organise the first in-person meeting of the ‘Community of Champions’ initiative for West Africa (plus Mauritania, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic) with governments and the private sector on Friday 13 October in Praia, to discuss the challenges facing the off-grid solar energy market in the region.

The ‘Community of Champions’ is a platform supported by the World Bank/ESMAP, the Shell Foundation, USAID/Power Africa, AECF, SE4All and GOGLA to facilitate ongoing dialogue, primarily between governments, the private sector and development partners, with a view to collaborating on the creation of an enabling policy environment through best practice and the sharing of experiences, thereby contributing to universal access to energy in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Community of Champions currently comprises 21 member countries (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, the DRC, Somalia, Mali, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe) and three regional organisations: the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREEE) and the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE).