In Dakar, ECOWAS is banking on solar power to electrify rural areas of West Africa.

Faced with persistent challenges of access to energy in rural areas, the ECOWAS Parliament is holding a decentralized meeting of its joint committee on renewable energy and rural electrification in Dakar from June 15 to 19.

For five days, parliamentarians, representatives of community institutions, government officials, technical and financial partners, private sector actors and experts in the field will exchange ideas on solutions to be implemented to accelerate the electrification of the most isolated territories.

Held under the theme "Harnessing renewable energy for rural electrification and strengthening rural economies in the ECOWAS region: the role of the ECOWAS Parliament", this meeting comes at a time when several million people in West Africa still lack access to reliable electricity.

According to the organizers, this energy deficit continues to have significant repercussions on agriculture, education, health, digital inclusion, and the economic development of rural communities. ECOWAS has set itself the goal of ensuring universal access to sustainable and affordable energy by 2030.

The work will focus in particular on the deployment of decentralized renewable energy systems, such as solar mini-grids, hybrid installations, and stand-alone solar systems. Participants will also examine existing regional policies, including the ECOWAS renewable energy policy, the energy efficiency policy, and regional electricity market mechanisms.

Beyond institutional exchanges, the parliamentarians will conduct a field visit to a renewable energy installation in Senegal. This immersive experience will allow them to meet with the beneficiary communities, local entrepreneurs, and women's and youth associations in order to concretely assess the impact of rural electrification on living conditions and economic activities.

At the end of the meeting, the members of the joint commission are expected to adopt several recommendations aimed at strengthening regional policies, encouraging investment in energy infrastructure and improving parliamentary monitoring of ECOWAS programs.