By Linus Aleke
The Speaker of the Community Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Rt. Hon. Sidie Mohamed Tunis, has said that no fewer than half of the ECOWAS population live in outer darkness.
He noted that despite the fact that West Africa is blessed with large and rich energy resources, the majority of her people have no access to electricity.
This is even as he averred that access to reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity is key to reducing
poverty and improving the living standard of all in the region.
Hon. Tunis said this in Freetown while declaring open the ECOWAS Parliament Delocalized Meeting of Eight Joint Committees, with the theme: “Building the Regional Energy Market for a Just Energy Transition”.
“With a total population of over 400 million people, only 220 million (54%) have access to electricity, while the remaining 180 million (46%) lack access to power due to a low generation or poor distribution capacity.
This unfortunate reality has impacted negatively on the performance and competitiveness of our businesses, particularly our manufacturing plants that rely heavily on the sustainable power supply to survive,” Hon Tunis, Speaker, of ECOWAS Parliament said.
He noted that the energy issue, particularly the need for an energy transition is, therefore, at the heart of the region’s economy and national productivity, adding, no single state can provide sustainable solutions to these challenges, thus the need for a concerted effort.
He disclosed that it was with this in mind that the Member States set up the West African Power Pool to create a system of interconnection of electricity networks aimed at enabling a better distribution of energy resources, to compensate for the production deficit of member states.
According to him, “It is true that the construction of major roads and rail arteries between our capitals will allow for a more intense movement of people and goods. However, we must also agree that the physical interconnection infrastructure of the electricity networks that are being developed within the framework of the regional electricity market are, without a doubt, the veins that will enable the transporting and sharing of life-giving energy for the concrete integration of the sub-region”.
He said the meeting will lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of the ECOWAS policies and
programs implemented to ensure access to reliable, sustainable and modern energy services at an affordable cost for all.
On how reliable and affordable energy can be deployed against poverty, the Speaker said,
access to electricity is an essential factor for economic and social development.
He posited that expanding access to electricity, especially through energy transitioning, has the potential of facilitating the achievement of SDG 7 – universal electrification.
Noting that electricity is today, used for primary needs such as health, education and food security, Hon. Tunis concluded that electricity improves productivity in the agro-food sector and facilitates food preservation.
