The European Union (EU) is allocating £32 million euros to support the energy sector in Nigeria and neighboring West African countries.
This funding is part of the AGoSE-AO program, which aims to improve governance in the energy sector in West Africa.
The program was commissioned through the 11th European Development Fund and will be implemented between May 2022 and April 2024.
The AGoSE-AO program is designed within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), and the European Union.
Its goal is to make the energy architecture and regional instBusitutions in West Africa more effective in dealing with global challenges.
To further this objective, officials from ECOWAS, the EU, and other development partners convened in Abuja for talks on boosting the energy sector in Nigeria and other countries in the West African sub-region.
The event was jointly organized by ECOWAS and WAEMU and attended by various specialized agencies responsible for energy, such as the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the West African Power Pool (WAPP), and the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA).
Representatives from the European Union Delegations to Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso, as well as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Energy Charter, British Council, and NTU International A/S, also participated in the event.
Anastasia Oikonomou, the representative of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the ECOWAS Commission, stated that the AGoSE-AO program aims to strengthen the West African energy architecture and regional institutions to effectively address global challenges.
She emphasized the importance of enhancing governance, transparency, and accountability in the energy sector to promote sustainable development and reduce poverty in West Africa.
Bayaornibe Dabire, the Director of Energy and Mines of ECOWAS and chairman of the meeting, urged all stakeholders within the energy sector to collaborate in improving governance and transparency.
He highlighted the need for a harmonized regulatory and legal framework in the region to create a secure, transparent, stable, and vibrant energy market. This, in turn, would attract investors and enhance access to modern, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy services.
Emmanuel W. Ramde, the Team Leader of the AGoSE AO program, emphasized that access to modern, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy services is crucial for poverty alleviation.
One of the program’s components focuses on harmonizing the regulatory and legal framework in the region to create an enabling environment for investment and improved energy services.
The AGoSE-AO program, funded by the EU, aims to strengthen governance and regulatory frameworks in the energy sector in West Africa, promote sustainable development, and enhance access to modern energy services in the region.
