The ECOWAS Parliament is set to convene a Delocalized Joint Committee Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, from June 15 to 19, 2026, to explore strategies for scaling up renewable energy and accelerating rural electrification across West Africa.
The meeting, themed “Harnessing Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification and Empowerment of Rural Economies in the ECOWAS Region: The Role of the ECOWAS Parliament,” will bring together Members of Parliament, ECOWAS institutions, government representatives, development partners, private sector stakeholders, civil society organizations, and energy experts.
The event will be jointly hosted by the Parliament’s Committees on Energy and Mines; Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources; and Infrastructure under the Sixth Legislature.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Communication Officer of the ECOWAS Parliament, Uchenna Duru-Nwaotule, the gathering comes at a critical time as millions of people across rural West Africa continue to lack reliable access to electricity, affecting agriculture, healthcare, education, digital inclusion, and economic productivity.
Participants will examine how decentralized renewable energy solutions, including solar mini-grids, hybrid energy systems, and stand-alone solar installations, can help bridge the electricity access gap in underserved communities. Discussions will also focus on unlocking the region’s vast solar and hydropower potential while identifying practical measures to increase investment in sustainable energy infrastructure.
The Joint Committee is expected to review key regional energy frameworks such as the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Policy (EREP), the Energy Efficiency Policy (EEEP), the updated ECOWAS Energy Policy, and the Regional Electricity Market (REM). The meeting will also assess the contributions of regional institutions including the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the West African Power Pool (WAPP), and the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA).
A major highlight of the programme will be a field visit to a renewable energy project in Senegal, where parliamentarians will engage directly with local communities, entrepreneurs, women, and youth groups to witness firsthand the transformative impact of rural electrification on livelihoods and economic development.
The meeting underscores ECOWAS’ commitment to achieving universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy by 2030 and highlights the growing role of parliamentary action in driving the region’s energy transition.
