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Praia, June 25th, 2015 – Two Special Representatives of the United Nations Secretary-General visited the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) as part of trip to showcase Cabo Verde as a role model for sustainable energy in the ECOWAS region.
The high level delegation was composed of Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations for SE4ALL and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for West Africa, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas.
The two-day mission was an opportunity to hold meetings with the Head of State of Cabo Verde and key actors in the energy sector. The mission also aimed to explore opportunities to support other ECOWAS Member States to follow the laudable example of Cabo Verde in achieving Universal access to sustainable energy.
ECREEE as the ECOWAS Focal Institution for Sustainable Energy For All (SE4ALL) welcomed the delegation where the Executive Director, Mr. Mahama Kappiah, made a presentation highlighting the key activities of the Centre.
During his intervention Mr. Kappiah addressed the role of the centre in achieving the SE4ALL objectives of ensuring universal access to modern energy services, doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and also doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
The director also presented the significant accomplishments of the Centre over the past few years, through the fulfillment of its mission by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in the ECOWAS region.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Yumkella demonstrated great satisfaction with the role of ECREEE in the ECOWAS region, stating that ECREEE is doing very well in accomplishing its mission as an institution with the mandate to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. In fact, Dr. Yumkella congratulated ECREEE for being able not only to create an enabling environment, but also for being able to implement projects on the field, as he said “convert commitment to KWh to real people”.
Dr. Yumkella was pleased with the performance of the regional Centre, he also emphasized that a lot more needs to be done in order to mitigate energy poverty in Africa in general particularly in the ECOWAS region, where lack of energy is a real problem affecting millions of people.
Dr. Chambas, on his part, spoke about the lead taken by Cabo Verde in the region to implement renewables, stating that one of the strongest reasons why Cabo Verde was chosen to host the Centre was due to the Cape Verdean Government’s commitment in driving forward the green energy agenda.
After the visit, the delegation embarked on a field trip to the Cabeólica wind farms, the Centre for Renewable Energy and Industrial Maintenance and paid a courtesy call on the President of Cabo Verde, H.E. Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca.