The Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) officially launched by HE Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission in Cape Verde

The Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) officially launched by HE Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission in Cape Verde

The opening ceremony of the 8th ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF 2023) organized on Thursday October 12, 2023 in Praia, Cape Verde by the ECOWAS Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) also served as a framework for the launch of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP). These 2 activities were launched by HE Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA, Prime Minister of Cabo Verde and HE Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission, in the presence of Commissioner Sediko DOUKA in charge of Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization.

More than 300 participants were present in the conference room of the National Assembly of Cabo Verde for the opening ceremony of ESEF 2023 and the launch of ROGEAP. Apart from members of the Government and deputies of Cape Verde, we could note the presence of Heads of Agencies and
Directors in charge of energy 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 operating in the sustainable energy sector and the private sector.

After the welcome address of Commissioner Sédiko DOUKA in charge of Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization of ECOWAS and the speech of Mr. Kwaku Mensan GABA, Practice Manager for West Africa of the World Bank, the honor went to HE Dr. Alieu Omar TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission to launch ROGEAP.

After expressing his sincere gratitude to HE José Maria Pereira NEVES, President of Cabo Verde for his commitment to regional integration and to HE Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA, Prime Minister of Cabo Verde and his government for their support to ECREEE and ESEF 2023, the President of the ECOWAS Commission returned to the importance of this forum which offers a privileged platform to
discuss the crucial role of renewable energies and energy efficiency as catalysts for sustainable development, both globally as well as 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 projects in the field of renewable energies for the ECOWAS Commission’: declared HE Dr Alieu Omar TOURAY at the end of his intervention. The top of the work was given by HE Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA, Prime Minister of Cabo Verde who delivered the official speech to launch the forum.

ROGEAP took advantage of the second day of the forum to organize its first physical meeting of the initiative called ‘the Community of Champions’ of West Africa (plus Mauritania, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic) with governments and the private sector to discuss the challenges of the off-grid solar energy market in the region.

The 3 sessions hosted by ROGEAP during the ‘Community of Champions’ respectively focused on
‘the political and regulatory framework of the off-grid industry in the ECOWAS region’, ‘the involvement and role of the private sector in the ‘access to off-grid energy’, and finally ‘Access to financing off-grid energy’. 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, in order to collaborate in the creation of a favorable policy environment through best practices and sharing of experiences to contribute to universal access to energy in sub-Saharan Africa.

For more information, please contact:

Directorate of Communication, ECOWAS Commission

Telephone: +234 8025560095 – Email: alungu@ecowas.int

Twitter: @ecowas_cedeao – Facebook: Ecowas-Cedeao – www.ecowas.int

Twitter: @ERogeap – Facebook: EcowasRogeap –

LinkedIn: ecowas-rogeap-regional-off-grid-electricity-access-project

Source: Burkina Information Agency