The Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) officially launched in Cabo Verde by H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission
The opening ceremony of the 8th ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF 2023) organized by the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) in Praia, Cabo Verde, on Thursday October 12, 2023, also provided the setting for the launch of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP). These 2 activities were launched by H.E Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA, Prime Minister of Cabo Verde and H.E Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission, in the presence of Commissioner Sediko DOUKA in charge of Infrastructures, Energy and Digitization.
More than 300 participants were present in the conference room of the Cabo Verde National Assembly for the opening ceremony of ESEF 2023 and the launch of ROGEAP. In addition to members of the Cabo Verde government and parliament, the event was also attended by heads of agencies and energy directors from the ECOWAS Commission and ECOWAS member states, representatives of partners such as the World Bank, the West African Development Bank, the European Union, USAID, commercial banks, non-governmental organizations and associations working in the sustainable energy sector, and the private sector.
After a word of welcome from Commissioner Sédiko DOUKA in charge of Infrastructures, Energy and Digitalisation and the speech by Mr Kwaku Mensan GABAPractice Manager for West Africa at the World Bank, the honor went to H.E. Dr Alieu Omar TOURAYPresident of the ECOWAS Commission to launch ROGEAP.
After expressing his sincere gratitude to H.E. José Maria Pereira NEVES, President of Cabo Verde for his commitment to regional integration, and to H.E. Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA , Prime Minister of Cabo Verde and his government for their support of ECREEE and ESEF 2023, the President of the ECOWAS Commission reiterated the importance of this forum, which offers a privileged platform for discussing the crucial role of renewable energies and energy efficiency as catalysts for sustainable development, both globally and in West Africa. ” Today is a particularly solemn day, with the launch of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP)….. ROGEAP is one of the most important renewable energy projects for the ECOWAS Commission”. declared H.E. Dr Alieu Omar TOURAY at the end of his speech. The proceedings were opened by H.E. Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA, Prime Minister of Cabo Verde , who delivered the official opening address.
ROGEAP took advantage of the second day of the forum to organize its first physical meeting of the initiative known as ” the Community of Champions “In addition, the Group has organized a meeting of West African (plus Mauritania, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic) governments and private sector representatives to discuss the challenges facing the off-grid solar energy market in the region.
The 3 sessions led by ROGEAP during the “Community of Champions” focused respectively on ” the policy and regulatory framework for the off-grid industry in the ECOWAS region “, “. the involvement and role of the private sector in off-grid energy access “, and finally ” Access to off-grid energy financing”. The Community of Champions is a platform supported by the World Bank/ESMAP, Shell Foundation, USAID/Power Africa, AECF, SE4All and GOGLA to facilitate ongoing exchange, primarily between governments, the private sector and development partners, to collaborate in creating an enabling policy environment through best practices and experience sharing to contribute to universal energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa.
