The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that its $225 million Regional Electricity Access Project has provided electricity access to nearly 500,000 people across 490 communities in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mali.
The achievement was disclosed during the 10th and final Steering Committee meeting of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP), which opened in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting was convened to assess the project’s implementation, review progress and agree on measures to sustain its achievements beyond the project’s closure.
Funded by the World Bank, the initiative was designed to expand electricity access in underserved communities across the three participating countries, while strengthening regional energy integration and improving 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 progress recorded despite challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and institutional disruptions that affected implementation.
He, however, emphasised the need for concrete decisions to ensure the responsible closure of the project, noting that its success should be measured by the number of households actually connected to electricity rather than completed infrastructure alone.
Koumoin stressed the importance of ensuring that investments translate into tangible benefits for communities and provide lasting improvements in electricity access.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of The Gambia’s National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), Gallo Saidy; a 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 countries’ commitment to completing outstanding project activities.
However, Mali requested an extension of the project to enable it to complete pending activities before its final closure.
The meeting is expected to produce agreements on outstanding responsibilities and necessary measures to consolidate the project’s achievements, ensuring that beneficiaries continue to enjoy reliable electricity supply.
The initiative forms part of broader ECOWAS efforts to improve electricity access, strengthen regional cooperation and promote sustainable energy development across West Africa.
