Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 17 October 2026 – The ECOWAS regional certification programme for sustainable energy professionals has reached a significant milestone following the validation of key technical framework documents for the certification of off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) professionals. The validation took place during the 12th Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee for Conformity Assessment (ECOCONF), held from 14 to 17 October 2026 in Abidjan, bringing together representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, ECOCONF members, implementing agencies of the Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, and regional and international experts.
The meeting formed part of ongoing efforts to implement the West Africa Common Industrial Policy (WACIP) and the ECOWAS Quality Policy (ECOQUAL), aimed at strengthening regional quality infrastructure and harmonising conformity assessment practices across member states. Established in 2017, ECOCONF plays a key role in advancing regional certification mechanisms and promoting consistent quality standards within the ECOWAS region.
A key outcome of the meeting was ECOCONF’s validation of the technical framework for ECREEE’s regional competency certification programme for off-grid solar PV professionals. This framework includes the Job Task Analyses (JTAs) for designers, installers, and inspectors of advanced off-grid solar PV systems, as well as the regional certification guidelines and their annexes. These instruments aim to establish clearer definitions of the competencies, tasks, and professional requirements applicable to the respective profiles.
The meeting also emphasized the importance of strengthening coordination among ECREEE, national certification bodies, ECOWAS member states, and other stakeholders to ensure the credibility, consistency, and sustainability of the certification system. This milestone reinforces ECREEE’s commitment to harmonizing professional competencies and strengthening quality assurance in the region’s off-grid solar PV sector.