By Olukayode Idowu
As West Africa countries continue to search to improve sustainable energy in the region, no fewer than 500 participants are expected in Abuja to attend the 2022 Economic Community of West African States Sustainable Energy Forum.
The event scheduled for October 2022 is the 7th Edition of the Forum.
Briefing newsmen on Wednesday ahead of the forum, Engr. Abubakar Ali Dapshima, Acting Director of Renewable Energy and Rural Power Access Department, Federal Ministry of Power, said the forum has a lot of benefits to Nigeria and the West Africa at large as it seeks to bring together major key players in the sector.
He said: “We are expecting not less than 500 participants, which most of them are coming from the international arena into the country, which is an opportunity for them to come and know the potential of Nigeria and tap into it; so that will be a win win situation for them and us, to grow the energy sector.”
He noted that it is renewable energy that will actually drive the economy and mitigate climate change.
Dapshima said the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum 2022 has a lot of benefits to Nigeria, noting that in the sense that Nigeria has a renewable and rural power access policy, which was approved in 2016, and In that particular policy, we have a vision of generating 30 gigawatts by the year 2030 With at least 30 Percent share of renewable energy.
He said the upcoming Forum, “is actually going to bring major key players in the sector together, and also international partners, manufacturers, technology drivers, investors.”
He therefore urged local investors to key into the international opportunities so as to partake in the inflow of investment which will later turn into dollar flow into the country.
On his part, Mr. Hyacinth Elayo, Energy Policy Analyst, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable and Energy Efficiency, ECREEE said the region has a pressing energy question that is unfolding.
He added that the challenge is “how to get power, energy, electricity to our people, to power homes, businesses, industry, with requring developments for healthcare, for education, all that we need.”
He said: “Energy is an enabler and as we speak today, over 50% of the population still dont have any access to energy, modern energy services.
“So we have to address that fronterly as we speak. But going forward, there has to be a steadfast effort as well.”
Elayo revealed that the plan is to have 48% renewables of the share of development engine mix by 2030. He said: “Also for the efficiency, we agreed that we will implement seven measures in efficiency, billing in industries, in lighting, in transport, and all that, at the end of that exercise, the idea is that 2 gigawhatts of electricity would have been saved by 2030″
On his part, the Executive Director of ECREEE, Francis Sempore said: “It is clear that the challenges to be met to ensure that everyone has access to energy by 2030 are still very significant.
“And so, it is within this framework, to accelerate the achievement of the objectives set by the Heads of State for access to energy in 2030, ECREEE which is a specialized Center of ECOWAS for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency has established the international conference ESEF.”