I extend a warm welcome to you all on behalf of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE). It is an honor to address a community dedicated to advancing sustainable energy in West Africa and beyond. Reliable and affordable electricity is not just a convenience but a lifeline, especially for healthcare and education facilities, social infrastructure, and the economic empowerment of vulnerable communities.

 

The challenges we face, from the prevalence of traditional biomass for domestic use to the inadequate access to electricity, particularly in rural areas, underscore the imperative for transformative action. Our region grapples with electricity generation dominated by fossil fuels, high losses in transmission and distribution, and limited exploitation of the vast renewable energy potential within the ECOWAS region. The establishment of ECREEE over a decade ago was prompted by these persistent and complex challenges in the energy sector. The urgency to address these challenges remains crucial, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Aligned with ECOWAS’ visionary goals for 2050, which emphasizes regional integration and sustainable development, ECREEE’s Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 serves as our roadmap to realizing this vision, with the transition to clean energy becoming increasingly vital. ECREEE has played a pivotal role in shaping the development of the region’s energy sector, placing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the forefront of policy agendas within the Member States. In collaboration with partners, ECREEE has spearheaded the development and adoption of regional policies, including the Renewable Energy Policy, Energy Efficiency Policy, Bioenergy Policy, Gender Mainstreaming Policy, and most recently, the Green Hydrogen Policy, adopted on the 7^th of July 2023. Collectively, we can translate these policies into tangible actions.

 

I want to underscore the significant support we’ve received from the governments of our Member States, with special mention to Cape Verde, our host country. I also wish to reiterate our profound appreciation to H. E. the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Hon. Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalization for their support.

 

I extend sincere gratitude to our partners for their steadfast support over the past decade. ECREEE remains dedicated to fostering collaboration and effective engagement with all stakeholders. Our unwavering commitment to fulfilling our mandate underscores the vital role of sustainable energy in regional development, with the overarching goal of ensuring universal access to energy by 2030.

Prior to joining the ECREEE, Mr. Francis SEMPORE worked for the West African Power Pool (WAPP) based in Cotonou (Benin), as Program Officer. He served for nearly twenty years at the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE Institute) of  Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in several positions of responsibility, including Advisor to the General Director in charge of Institutional Development, Prospective and Digital, Director of the Technopole, Director of International Relations, Director of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, Director of the e-Education Centre, Head of the Master’s Degree program in Energy Engineering. Before joining the 2iE Institute, Mr. SEMPORE worked in the private sector in the fields of Energy, Air Conditioning and Industrial Refrigeration in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. He was a Studies Engineer, Business Engineer, and Country Agency Manager.

 

Mr. SEMPORE is an Electrical Engineer graduated from “Ecole Superieure Polytechnique – ESP” of Dakar (Senegal) and holds a Specialized Master’s Degree in Energy and Industrial Refrigeration Engineering of 2iE Institute (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso). He is certified in Business Management from HEC Paris (France) and has a Diploma of Specialized Training in Regulation and Energy Market from Mines Paris Tech (France).

 

Senior Energy Expert, Specialist in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Mr. SEMPORE has participated in the mobilization of resources from technical and financial partners for the implementation of many programs and projects in the fields of Energy and Capacity Building in West Africa. To date, he has a professional experience of more 25 years with the coordination of more than thirty programs and projects in the areas of Energy Access, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Policy, Gender Mainstreaming in Energy, Rural Electrification as well as Entrepreneurship and Capacity Building in West Africa.