Official opening of the regional workshop on energy efficiency initiatives and sustainable energy data collection

Cotonou, June 24, 2024 – The official opening of the regional workshop on “Energy Efficiency Initiatives and Sustainable Energy Data Collection” in West Africa took place on June 24, 2024, in Cotonou, Benin. The workshop, which is taking place from July 24 to 28, 2024, is organized by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the African Energy Commission (AFREC), a specialized agency of the African Union. 

This workshop is of particular pertinence as it coincides with ECREEE’s 14th anniversary, a milestone that signals over a decade of dedicated service and pioneering initiatives for the promotion of sustainable energy in the ECOWAS region. 

The opening ceremony was chaired by Mr. Basile Kanon Adjo – General Secretary,  representing the Minister of Energy, Water and Mines of Benin, in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Amadou Diongue, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, Mr. Mansour Dahouenon, ProMERC/GIZ Project Manager, Mr. Samson  Bel-Aube Nougbodohoue -Head of Energy Information System and Statistics Division – AFREC and  Mr. Francis Sempore, Executive Director of ECREEE.  

The workshop brings together ECREEE and AFREC national energy data focal points from member states’ energy ministries and representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, the UEMOA Commission, and the African Energy Commission.

The energy efficiency initiatives of ECREEE and its partners (GIZ, UNIDO, UNDP, KfW, AFREC) will be discussed to ensure synergy of action and effective involvement of member states in their implementation and/or formulation. 

The event also aims to set up an effective and robust data collection system on energy efficiency in West Africa and to consolidate the sustainable energy data collection system to support the ECOWAS Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Observatory (ECOWREX) and the preparation of annual reports on progress in RE and EE in the region. The ultimate goal of this workshop is to support the successful implementation of sustainable energy infrastructure programs and projects in West Africa.