EU spends £32 million to boost energy in Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Mali others

As Ramde insist sustainable energy key to poverty alleviation

The European Union is expending the sum of £32 million euros as part of ongoing effort to boost the energy sector in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries.

The AGoSE-AO program which seeks to Improve governance of the energy sector in West Africa was commissioned through the 11th European Development Funds is to be implemented between May 2022 to April 2024.

AGoSE-AO has been designed within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the Commission of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Commission of the European Union (EU) under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).

Officials of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in conjunction with the European Union (EU) and other development partners held talks in Abuja yesterday aimed at boosting the energy sector in Nigeria and other countries in the west African sub-region.

The event which was jointly organized by ECOWAS and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) was attended by the ECOWAS specialized agencies in charge of energy namely the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency ECREEE), the West African Power pool (WAPP) and the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA).

Other attendees are the European Union Delegations to Nigeria, to Benin and to Burkina Faso, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Energy Charter, British Council and NTU International A/S.

Speaking at the event, the representative of the Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to the ECOWAS Commission, Mrs Anastasia Oikonomou said that the EU-funded 32 million Euro AGoSE-AO program is a West Africa targeted governance tool, dedicated to make the West African energy architecture and its regional institutions fit for purpose so that they can cope with the global challenges.

Mr Bayaornibe Dabire, Directeur of Energy and Mines of ECOWAS and chairman of the meeting urges all stakeholders within the energy sector to continue to work together and to forge a path towards enhanced governance, transparency, and accountability in the energy sector, hence paving the way for sustainable development and alleviating poverty in West Africa.

The team Leader of the AGoSE AO program, Emmanuel W. Ramde during the meeting said that one of the components of the program aims to harmonize the regulatory and legal framework within the region thus ensuring a secure, transparent, stable and vibrant energy market which in turn will attract investors and boost access to modern, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy services.

Ramde argued that access to modern, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy services is key to poverty alleviation.