By: Audrey Raymonda John
At a high-level ministerial workshop hosted by the Government of Sierra Leone in Freetown under the auspices of the World Bank Group and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Ministers of Energy and Finance from the Central African Republic, Chad, Liberia, Mauritania, Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone today endorsed the Freetown Declaration on Regional Collaboration for Scaling Distributed Renewable Energy in West and Central Africa.
The Ministers pledged to leverage financial and technical support from the World Bank Group and SEforALL to establish and expand a collaborative platform aimed at scaling distributed renewable energy solutions across West and Central Africa. This initiative focuses on ending energy poverty and fostering job creation.
The signed declaration recognizes the crucial role of distributed renewable energy solutions in efficiently and cost-effectively expanding energy access. It also emphasizes the importance of private sector involvement in scaling up energy access initiatives in the West African region.
Reflecting on the declaration, Hon. Kandeh Yumkella, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security, Sierra Leone, said:
“Distributed renewable energy sources, such as mini grids offer a fast, flexible, and cost-effective way to provide energy access to underserved communities. Given the high geographical concentration of the West and Central African electricity access gap, donors and development finance institutions need to come together and maximize impact by broadening and deepening access agendas at regional and national levels,” he said.
Honourable Yumkella added that this is exactly what the declaration that has been endorsed today proposes, and I look forward to seeing this working in Sierra Leone and across West Africa.
Robert R. Taliercio, World Bank Country Director from Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, said considering the fragility-related risks and small market sizes of many West and Central African countries, several leading international distributed renewable energy firms have refrained from operating in these countries so far.
He mentioned that the World Bank’s experience and its approach of aggregating capacity needs across multiple countries demonstrate that regional aggregation can provide a large enough demand to create greater economies of scale and attract leading international private players to provide the infrastructure to smaller and more fragile countries at lower cost. I look forward to working with in-country and regional partners to bring this declaration to life_.”
Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy, commented the government’s critical role in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.
Ogunbiyi emphasized that by crafting progressive policies and regulatory frameworks, governments can enable the successful roll out of energy projects, while incentivizing the private sector.
“I welcome this declaration that will facilitate knowledge sharing and best practice exchange in the region and within countries. I look forward to collaborating with development partners to support governments to craft world-class policies to attract investment in sustainable energy,” he said.
Ogunbiyi disclosed said it is estimated that 220 million people in West and Central Africa do not have access to electricity, representing about 45 percent of the region’s population. Recognizing the urgency of addressing this issue, there is an increasing emphasis on mobilizing public and private resources toward infrastructure for energy access.
He noted that there have been growing calls to raise ambition, such as the Dakar Call to Action by African Heads of State, which recognizes the importance of providing electricity to an additional 85 million people per year over the next eight years, which will need an unprecedented mobilization of public and private investment.”
Additionally, he affirmed that the innovative initiatives such as Mission 300, announced by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group in April 2024, aim to provide at least 300 million people in Africa with electricity access by 2030, of which around 100 million will be in West and Central Africa.
He also gave brief details about the World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance working in more than 100 countries around the world to help address the most pressing challenges of development. Its mission is to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. The World Bank supports development by providing loans, grants, and expertise to help countries implement projects and reforms that improve economic prospects and quality of life for their citizens.
He added that sustainable energy for all is an independent organization, hosted by UNOPS, with a global mandate to accelerate progress on the energy transition in emerging and developing countries. We work at the intersection of energy, climate, and development.
“We collaborate with governments and partners worldwide to end energy poverty, accelerate the deployment of renewable energy solutions, and combat climate change,” CEO said.
About the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF) plays a critical role in guiding and coordinating efforts to address impacts of climate change, catalyze universal access to sustainable and affordable energy, and improving food and nutrition security in the country.