By Edward Blamo
On Tuesday, March 13, 2024, about 19 media focal points from the 19 member states of the Regional Offgrid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) converged in Lome, Togo for an information and awareness workshop.
The project amongst other things seeks to increase electricity access to households, businesses, and public institutions using modern stand-alone solar technology through a harmonized regional approach. ROGEAP covers 19 countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cameroun, Central Africa Republic, Chad, and Mauritania with funding from the World Bank, with co-financing from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), and Directorate General of International Cooperation (DGIS) of the government of Netherlands.
In his address at the opening ceremony, Arnaud KOUADIO BA, representing Commissioner Sédiko DOUKA in charge of Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization of ECOWAS stressed the need for increased investment in awareness raising around the project. “We need to communicate more the importance of solar. We are all aware of the importance of energy to our survival. And this is why, ECOWAS has decided to improve access”, he said.
For his part, Hodabalo ASSIH, representing the Director General of Energy of Togo expressed hope that the network will achieve its goal by being dynamic and ensuring that collaboration with stakeholders is strengthened.
Also speaking, Abdoulie GASSAMA, President of the ROGEAP Journalists Network explained the significant role the network members played in increasing the viability of the project.
“Members of the network attach importance to the project because they’re cognizant of the significance of energy security for their respective countries” he added.
At the end of the workshop on Thursday, March 14, 2024, a mechanism document is expected to be finalized for collaboration amongst network members and implementation stakeholders.