Validation of the new ECOWREX platform

Cotonou – Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – The official opening ceremony of the validation workshop of the new platform relating to the ECOWAS Observatory on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECOWREX) took place on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Cotonou, Benin under the chairmanship of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Water and Mines of Benin, in participation of the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin,  the Executive Director of ECREEE, the Director of Energy and Mines of the WAEMU Commission, the Representative of the Secretary General of WAPP and the Representatives of the Technical and Financial Partners (UNDP and GiZ).

Welcoming all participants on behalf of the Minister of Energy, Water, and Mines of Benin, the Secretary-General Mr. Basile Kanon Adjo applauded the initiative and reaffirmed ECOWREX as a vital decision-making tool for advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency in West Africa. He expressed gratitude to ECREEE, its partners—including UNDP and GIZ—and all stakeholders for their contributions to this initiative, which aligns with regional policies and ECREEE’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.

The Executive Director of ECREEE, Mr. Jean Francis Sempore, highlighted the collective achievement in enhancing the ECOWREX platform since its adoption by ECOWAS Energy Ministers in October 2012 in Accra, reinforcing its role as a key decision-making and planning tool. He emphasized its alignment with national and regional initiatives to improve data management and strategic planning in the energy sector. Representing UNDP’s West and Central Africa Office, Mrs. Nadine Rugwe, commended the project’s success and underscored the need to improve women’s access to affordable and clean energy.

The validation workshop brought together the National Energy Data Focal Points of ECOWAS Member States, Energy Data Experts from the Directorate of Energy and Mines of the ECOWAS Commission, ECREEE, ERERA, WAPP, and the African Union Energy Commission (AFREC).

The redesign of ECOWREX and organization of the validation workshop were supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Support Project for Rural Electrification by Renewable Energy Systems in the Liptako-Gourma Region – Pilot Phase (ER-ALG) and by GIZ through the Programme for the Promotion of a Climate-Friendly Electricity Market in West Africa (ProMERC).

Discover the new ECOWREX platform at www.ecowrex.org

Watch the presentation video on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qly2Hi3ceyI