Key points
- ECOWAS Parliament urges member states to dedicate at least 5% of national budgets to renewable energy and rural development.
- Lawmakers say rural electrification can improve security, agriculture and reduce migration.
- Experts highlight blended finance as key to unlocking renewable energy investments.
- West Africa aims to expand solar, wind and hybrid energy systems for energy security.
- Concerns raised over weak project preparation and low investment in rural energy infrastructure.
Main Story
The ECOWAS Parliament has called on member states to allocate at least five per cent of their annual national budgets to renewable energy and rural development projects to address the region’s electricity deficit.
The call was made by Sen. Ali Ndume, Chairman of the ECOWAS Parliament Committee on Agriculture, at a delocalised meeting of the parliament’s joint committee on energy and infrastructure in Dakar, Senegal. Ndume said increased investment in rural energy infrastructure would improve agriculture, strengthen security and reduce rural-to-urban migration. He argued that development can be achieved in rural communities with relatively small investments.
“For less than one million dollars, you can modernise a rural community. Once that is done, you bring development, improve security and strengthen agriculture.”
He added that improving rural infrastructure would reduce migration pressures as people would have fewer reasons to leave their communities. Director-General of Senegal’s National Agency for Renewable Energy, Diouma Kobor, said the region’s energy crisis is driven by rising demand, dependence on imported fuels, weak grids and unequal access to electricity.
He called for integrated energy systems combining solar, wind, gas and storage, supported by regional energy corridors under ECOWAS frameworks. Kobor also advocated blended finance models combining grants, concessional loans and private investment to reduce risk and attract funding. He said Senegal aims to generate 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 through a 2.5 billion euro energy transition programme. He stressed the need for interconnected, bankable energy projects that can attract private sector participation.
ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) official Maimouna Sidibe said renewable energy currently represents only four per cent of the bank’s energy portfolio. She said the main challenge is not lack of opportunities but the inability to structure bankable projects Sidibe identified weak preparation, small project size, regulatory issues and lack of guarantees as barriers to financing rural energy projects.
She said EBID’s 2026–2030 strategy will prioritise solar mini-grids, off-grid systems and hybrid power solutions to expand access in rural communities. She added that blended finance mechanisms would help attract private investment and improve energy access. ECOWAS Parliament Vice-Chairman on Infrastructure, Ahmed Munir, called for stronger climate financing frameworks that support industrial development and local value creation. He urged governments to ensure climate funding drives technology transfer and sustainable economic growth.
The Issues
- Persistent electricity deficit across West Africa.
- Underinvestment in rural renewable energy infrastructure.
- Weak project preparation and low bankability of energy projects.
- Heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels.
- Need for stronger regional coordination and financing frameworks.
What’s Being Said
- Sen. Ali Ndume said: “For less than one million dollars, you can modernise a rural community. Once that is done, you bring development, improve security and strengthen agriculture.”
- Diouma Kobor said: “West Africa must move beyond isolated energy projects and develop bankable, interconnected portfolios capable of attracting private-sector investment.”
- Maimouna Sidibe said: “The challenge is not the absence of opportunities but making projects financeable and bankable.”
- Ahmed Munir called for climate financing that ensures “technology transfer and sustainable economic growth.”
What’s Next
- Continued ECOWAS discussions on regional energy financing frameworks.
- Expansion of blended finance models for renewable energy projects.
- Increased push for rural electrification initiatives across member states.
- Development of regional energy corridors and integrated infrastructure plans.
- Greater private sector participation in renewable energy investments.
Bottom Line
ECOWAS lawmakers are pushing for stronger financial commitment and innovative funding models to close West Africa’s energy gap, arguing that rural electrification is central to economic growth, security and regional stability.
