ECOWAS Project Delivers Electricity to 500,000 People in Three West African Countries

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said its $225 million Regional Electricity Access Project has extended electricity access to nearly 500,000 people across 490 localities in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mali.

The achievement was disclosed at the 10th and final Steering Committee meeting of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP), which opened in Abuja on Tuesday to review implementation progress and determine measures for ensuring the sustainability of the project.

The World Bank-financed initiative is designed to expand electricity access in underserved communities across the three countries, as part of efforts to deepen regional energy integration and improve living conditions in West Africa.

Speaking at the meeting, the Director of Energy and Mines at the ECOWAS Commission and Chairman of the Steering Committee, Arkadius Koumoin, acknowledged the significant progress recorded despite challenges that affected implementation, including the COVID-19 pandemic and institutional disruptions.

He, however, stressed the need for concrete decisions and actions to ensure responsible closure of the project, noting that its success should ultimately be measured by the number of households effectively connected to electricity.

Koumoin’s position highlights the importance of translating infrastructure investments into actual electricity access for communities, rather than measuring performance solely by completed project activities.

The Managing Director of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), The Gambia, Gallo Saidy; the representative of Guinea-Bissau’s Ministry responsible for Energy, Pedro Jeus de Oliviera; and Mali’s National Director of Energy, Oussouby Mary dit Ousmane Diarra, reaffirmed their commitment to completing outstanding project activities.

However, Mali called for an extension to enable it to complete its outstanding work, underscoring the need to address implementation gaps before the project’s final closure.

The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for participating countries and the ECOWAS Commission to agree on the outstanding actions required to consolidate the gains of the initiative and ensure that beneficiaries continue to enjoy reliable electricity access.

Through ECOWAS-REAP, the regional bloc is advancing its energy integration agenda and the objectives of ECOWAS Vision 2050, with the broader ambition of translating regional investments into tangible improvements in the lives of West African citizens.