The Economic Community of West African States has raised concerns about the insufficient electricity generation, high tariffs, and limited access to energy in the region.
During a weekly press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, Mines, Water Resources, Digitalisation, and Postal Services, Sediko Douka, highlighted the critical role of infrastructure in development.
Douka noted, “The energy sector, a key focus area for ECOWAS, currently has a total installed production capacity of 25,421 GW, predominantly from thermal sources (77%), hydroelectric sources (22%), and solar/wind sources (1%). The electrification rate has risen from 45% in 2019 to an average of 53% in 2023.
Despite this growth, significant disparities exist, with only a 10% access rate in rural areas.
The electricity sector also grapples with low levels of regional electricity exchanges (nine percent) and high electricity prices in West Africa (0.24 USD = 150 FCFA/kWh), hindering economic development, particularly in industrial sectors. The main challenges include:
Limited electricity production and transmission despite vast energy potential in the region (e.g., only 20% of the 26 GW hydro capacity is utilized).
High tariffs, inadequate energy access, and an imbalanced energy mix heavily reliant on thermal sources compared to hydro sources, resulting in minimal use of solar and wind energy.
To tackle these issues, ECOWAS established specialized energy agencies such as the West African Power Pool in Cotonou, Benin, the Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority in Accra, Ghana, the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Praia, Cape Verde, and the West African Gas Pipeline Authority in Abuja, Nigeria.
The implementation of the West African Power Pool Master Plan aims to develop regional power generation and transmission infrastructure from 2019 to 2033, including 75 regional projects totaling USD 36 billion to construct 23,000 km of power interconnection lines and generate 16,000 MW.
The strategic goal is to integrate national electricity grids into a unified regional electricity market to provide stable, reliable, and cost-effective electricity to ECOWAS citizens in the medium to long term.
Established in 1975 to foster economic integration among member states, the 15-nation bloc ECOWAS has faced challenges in recent years due to military takeovers in countries such as Mali (2020 and 2021), Burkina Faso (2022), and Niger.
The departure of three countries from ECOWAS posed a threat to the African Continental Free Trade Area, intended to enhance intra-African trade and strengthen the continent’s global trade position.
Earlier, economic sanctions were imposed on these countries by ECOWAS, but they were lifted following the intervention of Nigeria’s former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.
Emphasizing the decisions were made in the interest of regional unity and security, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, stated that the bloc remains committed to promoting stability in the African sub-region.