ECREEE and partners succesfully concluded the 7th Regional Certification Exam in the Republic of Benin

December 16, 2022. The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), in collaboration with the Ecole Supérieure des Métiers des Energies Renouvelables (ESMER) and the Agence Béninoise d'Electrification Rurale et de Maîtrise de l'Energie (ABERME), has successfully concluded the second regional certification exam for off-grid solar PV system technicians (level 1) organized in Benin. This is the 7th regional exam of the ECOWAS Regional Certification Scheme for Sustainable Energy (ECSES) supported by GiZ through the Programme for the Promotion of a Climate Friendly Electricity Market in the ECOWAS Region (ProMERC). The official launching ceremony took place on December 12, 2022, at ESMER in ABOMEY Calavi, in the attendance of the Executive Director of ECREEE, the Deputy Director General of ABERME, and representatives of ESMER and GIZ.
 
Thirty-three candidates from Benin and Togo, of which approximately 50% were women, took part in the certification exam.
 
The exam was organized in the form of theoretical and practical tests and was administered by a jury chaired by the Technical Advisor of the Minister of Energy of Benin. At the end of the deliberations, the jury certified twenty-six (26) candidates of which 35% were women.
 
The awarding ceremony took place on Friday, December 16, 2022 in the presence of the Minister of Energy of Benin, H.E. Jean Claude HOUSSOU, the Director of Operations of ECREEE, the Program Manager of ProMERC-GiZ and representatives of ABERME and ESMER.
 
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Honorable Minister, Jean Claude HOUSSOU conveyed his gratitude to ECREEE, GIZ and all partners who contributed to the success of the Regional Certification program. He underlined the importance and the positive impact that this certification program will bring to the region, and assured the different stakeholders of his commitment to transform Benin into a hub for the development of skills in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency in West Africa.