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ECOWAS Engages Firms to Assist Off-grid Solar Coys in 19 Countries
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
As part of the implementation of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP), the TSC Global/Intech-GOPA/AFC/BB consortium has signed a contract for the implementation in Abuja.
ROGEAP was first initiated in 2017 under Regional Off-grid Electrification Project (ROGEP), but then restructured and re-launched in November 2020 by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its technical and financial partners under ROGEAP.
It aims to increase access to sustainable electricity services in the 15 ECOWAS member countries and four other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, namely: Mauritania, Central African Republic, Cameroon and Chad.
Worth $338.7 million, the project is financed by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Dutch Cooperation (DGIS), according to a statement from ECOWAS.
The statement noted that the service contract signing ceremony took place in the presence of the Chief Executive/ President of TSC Global, Mr. Amara Sackor, representing the group and Commissioner Sédiko Douka, in charge of Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation of ECOWAS, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the ROGEAP Project.
Also present at the signing ceremony of the contract were Mr. EL hadji Sylla, Principal Advisor and Coordinator of ROGEAP and Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of Infrastructure.
“Following a procurement process in accordance with the donor’s procedures, the TSC Global/Intech-GOPA/AFC/BB Consortium was retained by the ECOWAS Commission as ROGEAP fund manager to provide technical and financial support, not only to the private sector but also to commercial banks and microfinance institutions in the countries covered by the project in support of the Project Management Unit (PMU) based in Abuja and within BOAD in Lomé.
“Comprised of several companies specialising in financial support and management of environmental and social risks to autonomous companies in the solar energy sector, the ROGEAP project fund manager is primarily responsible for supporting ECOWAS to implement at the project level, ”it added.
It will offer support to regional ecosystem development for sustainable off-grid industry growth, enhance information sharing on the market and trade facilitation between stakeholders and increase regional demand through consumer awareness and promotion campaigns, the statement noted.
It is also expected to remove supply-side constraints through building the capacity of commercial financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders.
The ROGEAP PFM will also intervene in the implementation of technical support for capacity building of enterprises characterised by differentiated support throughout the life cycle of enterprise development from start-up, early stage, growth and maturity.
It also offers financial support to enterprises which will result in a catalytic grant intended to support a critical mass of entrepreneurs in the development of solar products and business models.
In addition, it will remove barriers for difficult markets through two types of subsidies namely: the market entry subsidy and the performance-based subsidy.
