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- Honourable Mrs. Head of the Delegation of the Parliamentary Mission, Chairperson of the Energy and Mines Committee
- Honourable ECOWAS Parliamentarians,
- Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy of Cabo Verde,
- Your Excellencies, the Ambassadors accredited to Cape Verde and the Representatives of International, African and Regional Organizations
- Representatives of Technical and Financial Partners,
- Ladies and Gentlemen ECREEE National Focal Points in the Member States,
- Ladies and Gentlemen Officials of Cabo Verde and ECOWAS Member States,
- Director of the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre – Area G
- Secretary General of the West African Power Scheme
- Directors and Heads of Specialized Agencies and Technical Directorates of the ECOWAS Commission,
- Ladies and Gentlemen the Staff of ECREEE, the ECOWAS Representation in Cape Verde, the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre Zone G,
- Dear Colleagues, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
- Dear colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
You will recall the launch of the activities of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE/ECREEE) on 6 July 2010 by His Excellency Mr. Jose Maria Neves, then Prime Minister of Cabo Verde and His Excellency Mr. James Gbeho, President of the ECOWAS Commission with the support of partners such as the Spanish Cooperation, Austrian cooperation and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). It is therefore an honour for me to address you on the occasion of the official celebration of ECREEE’s 15th anniversary.
I would like to address first of all the Authorities and the People of Cabo Verde for the quality of the welcome given to the staff of ECREEE. The many facilities offered allow ECREEE to evolve in a favourable environment and it is the place to translate the recognition of the ECOWAS Commission to the Government of Cabo Verde for its constant support to ECREEE in the accomplishment of its mission to promote Sustainable Energy in West Africa. I would like to make a special mention of Mr. Alexandre DIAS MONTEIRO, Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy of Cabo Verde, for his availability and support.
Honourable Members of Parliament,
It is a privilege for ECREEE to welcome a delegation of ECOWAS parliamentarians. ECREEE will have the opportunity to present to you the main achievements as well as the state of implementation of its Strategic Plan 2023-2027 which draws its foundations from the ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the ECOWAS 4×4 Management Objectives. It will also be an opportunity for ECREEE to share with you the challenges to be met in the accomplishment of its mission to promote Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in West Africa.
Honourable Members of Parliament, Minister,
Ladies and Gentlemen National Focal Points,
Dear guests, dear colleagues,
After 15 years of continuous effort, it is important to highlight significant progress in the field of Sustainable Energy in West Africa. For example, the installed capacity of grid-connected solar photovoltaic power plants has increased from 5 MW in 2010 to nearly 1 GW in 2025 in West Africa, with a projection of more than 5 GW in 2030. ECREEE is proud to have driven this dynamic through the Regional Sustainable Energy Policies and the related National Action Plans in the Member States. This has resulted in the construction of important infrastructures with a high socio-economic impact for the populations of the countryside and cities and to support the competitiveness of companies. It is important to highlight other achievements such as the deployment of clean energy mini-grids in rural and peri-urban areas and the consolidation of the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Skills Certification Scheme, which is essential to guarantee the quality and sustainability of infrastructure.
However, there are still major challenges to be met in the field of Sustainable Energy, namely the weakness of the Technology Transfer component and local content in the design and implementation of projects, the low rate of access to clean cooking and the delay in the effective implementation of energy efficiency action plans.
ECREEE will continue its mission to promote and develop Sustainable Energy in West Africa for the achievement of Sustainable Energy for All by 2030 and this is the place to thank all the Partners and I would like to mention AECID, GIZ, ADA, UNIDO, the African Development Bank, the International Development Research Centre, UNDP, the European Union, the World Bank, WASCAL, GGGI and EBID.
To date, ECREEE is proud to have mobilized significant resources from its Partners in addition to the ECOWAS budget allocation for the implementation of structuring projects for all Member States. The sustained efforts have also made it possible to mobilize new resources for the coming years and I will cite as an example the commitment of the Director of AECID for significant support for the coming years during his visit to ECREEE on July 9, 2025.
I would like to make a special mention of the Partners present today for the celebration of the 15th anniversary of ECREEE, I want to mention AECID, GIZ, UNIDO and IDRC.
Dear National Focal Points,
Thank you for your commitment to ECREEE in the implementation of the Projects at the level of the Member States. Your support is crucial for the success of projects and for their alignment with the needs of your respective countries. Today, we are committed with you to the development of a Master Plan for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Infrastructure, the development of the Regional Policy on Electric Mobility and the implementation of the EELA Project dedicated to the promotion of Efficient Equipment and Appliances in West Africa.
Dear ECREEE Colleagues,
Allow me to express my esteem and admiration for you. You are committed women and men who advance Sustainable Energy in West Africa. While this is my last official speech in Praia as Director of ECREEE, I would like to encourage you to continue the action by carrying the torch of the Agency ever higher, by consolidating the achievements, to preserve the trust that ECREEE enjoys with its many partners and by continuing the effort to achieve Sustainable Energy for All by 2030 in West Africa.
Dear Colleagues of the ECOWAS Representation in Cabo Verde, Dear Director and Colleagues of the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre, Dear Secretary General of WAPP, Dear Directors of the Centre for Water Resources Management, Industry, PPDU, Ladies and Gentlemen Representatives of the Directors of ARAA, ECOWAS Centre for Gender Development, of the Directorate of Energy, the Directorate of Environment and the Directorate of Legal Affairs, your presence today in Praia testifies to the excellence of ECREEE’s collaboration with the other ECOWAS entities and this is the place to express our admiration to you.
Dear Minister,
I would like to reiterate my thanks for the constant support given to ECREEE. I will remember a warm, highly resilient country with exceptional accountability of the authorities to the population, as evidenced by the excellent indicators of access to energy, drinking water, education and health.
Honourable Members of Parliament, Minister,
Ladies and Gentlemen National Focal Points,
Dear guests, dear colleagues,
To conclude my remarks, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who made the trip of the day to join us in person but also to the many online participants for their interest and for their support in the promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in West Africa.
Finally, I invite you to the 10th edition of the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF 2025) which will take place on 18 and 19 September 2025 in Banjul, The Gambia.
I express the hope that the celebration of the 20th anniversary of ECREEE will take place in the ECOWAS House in Cabo Verde with the construction of the Sustainable Energy Technopole on the land made available to ECREEE by the Government of Cabo Verde and for which design studies will soon start with the recruitment of the Design Office.
Thank you for the amiable your attention.