ECOWAS Parliament urges investment in renewable energy to drive W/Africa economy

The ECOWAS Parliament on Monday called for an accelerated investment in renewable energy as a pathway to rural electrification, economic transformation, and sustainable development across West Africa. The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, made the call at the opening ceremony of a five-day Delocalized Joint Committee Meeting in Dakar, Senegal. […]

The ECOWAS Parliament on Monday called for an accelerated investment in renewable energy as a pathway to rural electrification, economic transformation, and sustainable development across West Africa.
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, made the call at the opening ceremony of a five-day Delocalized Joint Committee Meeting in Dakar, Senegal.
Represented by the Fourth Deputy Speaker, Hon. Billay Tunkara, she said renewable energy must go beyond meeting electricity needs and serve as a catalyst for empowering rural economies across the sub-region.
“Renewable energy is not merely a technical response to electricity demand. It is a key driver in transforming economic activities, particularly in rural areas,” she said.
“Together, let us make rural electrification through renewable energy a catalyst for the economic empowerment of women, young people and farmers.
“Access to clean energy is a fundamental right, a factor in social peace and a driver of sustainable development.”
The Speaker further urged ECOWAS member states to strengthen support for renewable energy initiatives through innovative financing mechanisms, technology transfer, local manufacturing, and legislative oversight to ensure the effective implementation of regional energy policies.
In his welcome address, the Head of the Senegalese Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Guy Marius Sagna, described the meeting’s theme as a call to action for the region to achieve energy sovereignty and accelerate development.
He noted that despite ECOWAS possessing abundant renewable energy resources, rural electricity access remains extremely low, stressing the need for collective efforts to bridge the gap between available resources and their utilisation.
“The figures speak for themselves. In our ECOWAS region, access to electricity for rural households is still capped at around 12 per cent, while our region boasts exceptional solar potential. This gap between our resources and their exploitation is a challenge that we must collectively and urgently address,” he added.
Sagna also used the opportunity to advocate for what he described as a “sovereign revolution” for West Africa, arguing that energy independence remains central to tackling poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, and underdevelopment across the region.
Earlier, Chair of the Joint Committee on Energy and Mines, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, and Infrastructure, Hon. Fanta Conte, said the meeting was convened in response to the growing imbalance between energy demand and supply within the ECOWAS region.
“Less than 40 per cent of the rural population has access to electricity. In some of our Member States, this rate falls below 10 per cent in the most remote areas,” she said.
Conte stressed that the consequences of inadequate electricity access are far-reaching, affecting healthcare delivery, agricultural productivity, education, and income-generating opportunities for millions of rural residents, particularly women and young people.
“Our role is to ensure that commitments made at the regional level, particularly the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Policy and the Energy Efficiency Action Plan, are effectively transposed into national legislation and, above all, implemented on the ground,” she stated.