Praia, Cabo Verde, 20 August 2026 – The ECOWAS Resident Representative in Cabo Verde, His Excellency Ambassador João Ribeiro Butiam Co, and the Acting Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), Mr. Gibson Okezie Obasi, today paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Minister of Environment, Climate Action and Energy of Cabo Verde, Mr. Carlos Varela.
The meeting provided an opportunity to congratulate the Minister on his appointment and to exchange views on strengthening cooperation between Cabo Verde, ECOWAS Representation and ECREEE, particularly in the areas of diplomacy, regional integration, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador João Ribeiro Butiam Co highlighted the opportunities for Cabo Verde to further deepen its engagement with ECOWAS. He stressed the importance of the ECOWAS institutions and mechanisms already present in the country, notably the ECOWAS Resident Representation, the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), and the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre for Zone G.
Mr. Gibson Okezie Obasi reaffirmed ECREEE’s commitment to supporting Cabo Verde’s energy transition agenda and outlined the Centre’s long-standing partnership with the country. Mr. Obasi further highlighted the crucial past interventions of ECREEE, including decentralized renewable-energy and rural-electrification projects on several islands, including Santo Antão, Brava, São Nicolau and Fogo, with the deployment of photovoltaic and hybrid systems, mini-grids, and renewable-energy solutions for productive activities, among other initiatives.
Both Ambassador Butiam Có and Mr. Obasi noted that there are significant opportunities to make cooperation between ECOWAS and Cabo Verde even more strategic. By connecting the country’s national priorities with forthcoming regional programmes and financing mechanisms in renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, mini-grids, e-mobility, and productive uses of clean energy, was one of the pathways presented, even in other sectors within the ECOWAS 2050 Vision, including the importance of the ECOWAS Early Warning Center.
Minister Carlos Varela welcomed the visit; he highlighted the importance of his government working with ECOWAS and emphasized the importance of strengthening technical cooperation between his Ministry and ECREEE. He proposed that a technical team from the Ministry work with ECREEE to identify concrete areas through which the Centre can support Cabo Verde in achieving its national target of 70% renewable-energy production by 2030.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Cabo Verde, ECOWAS Representation and ECREEE to deepen their partnership and accelerate the country’s clean-energy transition. ECREEE reiterated that it sees Cabo Verde not only as its host country, but also as a strategic partner in advancing the energy transition and sustainable development across West Africa.