500 Participants for ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum in Abuja

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

As West Africa countries continue to search to improve sustainable energy in the region, no fewer than 500 participants are expected in Abuja to attend the 2022 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Sustainable Energy Forum.

The event scheduled for October 2022 is the 7th Edition of the forum.

Briefing newsmen yesterday, ahead of the forum, the Acting Director of Renewable Energy and Rural Power Access Department, Federal Ministry of Power, Engr. Abubakar Ali Dapshima, said the forum has a lot of benefits to Nigeria and West Africa at large as it seeks to bring together major key players in the sector.

He said: “We are expecting not less than 500 participants, which most of them are coming from the international arena into the country, which is an opportunity for them to come and know the potential of Nigeria and tap into it; so that will be a win-win situation for them and us, to grow the energy sector.”

He noted that it was renewable energy that would actually drive the economy and mitigate climate change.

Dapshima said the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum 2022 has a lot of benefits for Nigeria, noting that in the sense that Nigeria has a renewable and rural power access policy, which was approved in 2016.

“In that particular policy, we have a vision of generating 30 gigawatts by the year 2030, with at least 30 per cent share of renewable energy,” he added.

He said the upcoming forum, “is actually going to bring major key players in the sector together, and also international partners, manufacturers, technology drivers, investors.”

He therefore urged local investors to key into the international opportunities so as to partake in the inflow of investment which will later turn into dollar flow into the country.

On his part, Energy Policy Analyst, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), Mr. Hyacinth Elayo, said the region has a pressing energy question that is unfolding.

He added that the challenge is, “how to get power, energy, electricity to our people, to power homes, businesses, industry, with requring developments for healthcare, for education, all that we need.”

He added: “Energy is an enabler and as we speak today, over 50 per cent of the population still don’t have any access to energy, modern energy services.

“So we have to address that frontally as we speak. But going forward, there has to be a steadfast effort as well.”

On his part, Executive Director of ECREEE, Francis Sempore said: “It is clear that the challenges to be met to ensure that everyone has access to energy by 2030 are still very significant.”