Dear followers,
The Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) aims to facilitate access to electricity through a harmonised regional approach across member countries.
Responsible for technical coordination, the ECOWAS Commission, which is responsible for implementing Component 1 – focused on developing a regional market by establishing a favourable business environment and providing support for technical and financial capacity-building for solar entrepreneurs in the 19 project countries – welcomes such an initiative
His Excellency General BIRAME DIOP
Chair of the ECOWAS Committee
After four and a half years of implementation, significant progress has been noted, including(I) The adoption by theECOWAS of two regional standards for the harmonisation of off-grid solar systems of 350 watts or less (ECOSTAND IEC TS 62257-9-8: 2020 and ECOSTAND IEC TS 62257-9-5:2018, and their implementation in 16 of the 19 target countries, (II) Training in solar entrepreneurship and access to finance for over 2,000 people in the target countries, (III) The approval of grants totalling 14 million dollars for 165 small and medium-sized photovoltaic solar enterprises in the 12 eligible countries,(IV) The implementation of a pilot project in two countries, namely Nigeria and Benin, which will enable the electrification of 30 health and educational facilities in these two countries. To date, an agreement has been signed between the ‘ECOWAS’ and the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency for an amount of $700,000, with another agreement due to be signed shortly for Benin for an amount of $300,000, (V) The forthcoming adoption of the Common External Tariff (CET), the implementation of which is well ahead of schedule.
To date, more than 300,000 people have access to electricity thanks to grants from the ‘ECOWAS’ and the credit facility provided by the BOAD.
Dear followers, on behalf of the Commission for the ‘ECOWAS’, I would like to thank all stakeholders, foremost among them the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund, the Dutch Directorate-General for Development Cooperation, and the sectoral ministries of energy, for their ongoing support.
Dear followers, we urge you to visit our website regularly to keep up to date with activities and topics relating to off-grid solar photovoltaic systems.
This dynamic website, which operates smoothly thanks to its bandwidth, is intended not only as an information platform, but also as a forum for dialogue with all the project’s followers and stakeholders.
Long live the Economic Community of West African States!
Long live a harmonised regional approach to access to electricity across sub-Saharan Africa!
Long live inclusive access to opportunities in the off-grid solar photovoltaic sector!
Long live the World Bank! Long live the Clean Technology Fund (CTF)! Long live the Dutch Directorate-General for International Cooperation!