Clean energy-powered mini-grids in the ECOWAS region

With a high percentage of the West African population living in remote rural areas, clean energy-powered mini-grids (CMEGs) have been identified as an essential tool for achieving universal energy access. An ambitious target of building 128,000 in West Africa by 2030 has been set.

How to achieve this was the main topic of a joint high-level workshop organised by the Smart Villages Initiative, the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), and the European Union Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI PDF). Held as part of the AfDB’s Energy Week in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, the workshop served to kick off a wider capacity-building engagement on CEMGs in the ECOWAS region, including an upcoming regional workshop as well as the provision of high-quality technical assistance for the improvement of the enabling environment. In addition, Smart Villages took the opportunity to share conclusions and recommendations from its West Africa engagement programme held over the last 12 months, which has looked into other SDG7 and energy-related access issues, such as the water-food-energy nexus.

Click here to access the presentations used during the workshop.