Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The ECOWAS Parliament will open a five-day Delocalized Joint Committee Meeting in Dakar, Senegal,
convening Members of Parliament, ECOWAS institutional representatives, government officials,
development partners, private sector actors, civil society organizations, and energy experts to chart
strategies for scaling up renewable energy deployment and accelerating rural electrification across the
region.
The meeting will be held from 15th to 19th June 2026 under the theme: “Harnessing Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification and Empowerment of Rural Economies in the ECOWAS Region: The Role of the
ECOWAS Parliament.”
It will be conducted jointly by the Joint Committee on Energy and Mines;
Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources; and Infrastructure, under the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament.
The meeting comes at a pivotal moment, when millions of people in rural West Africa continue to lack reliable electricity, with direct consequences for agriculture, education, healthcare, digital inclusion and economic productivity, despite recent progress in rural electrification around the sub-region.
ECOWAS has committed to achieving universal access to sustainable and affordable energy by 2030, and parliamentary action is increasingly central to that ambition.
Discussions will examine how decentralized renewable energy systems, including solar mini-grids, hybrid energy systems, and stand-alone solar installations, can more effectively bridge the electricity access gap
in underserved communities. West Africa holds vast untapped solar and hydropower potential, and the meeting will assess progress to date, map existing constraints, and identify concrete pathways for scaling
up regional investment.
The Joint Committee will also review key regional frameworks, including the ECOWAS Renewable
Energy Policy (EREP), the Energy Efficiency Policy (EEEP), the updated ECOWAS Energy Policy and the Regional Electricity Market (REM), alongside the contributions of ECREEE, the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA).
A highlight of the program is a field visit to a renewable energy installation in Senegal, where Members of Parliament will engage directly with beneficiary communities, local entrepreneurs, women and youth groups, gaining firsthand insight into how rural electrification transforms livelihoods and drives local enterprise.
At the end of the week-long meeting, Members are expected to adopt recommendations to reinforce regional rural electrification efforts, mobilize investment in renewable energy infrastructure, and strengthen parliamentary oversight of ECOWAS energy policies and programs.
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