Stakeholders in the West African energy space want all regulators to come on board to help develop a strong electricity market to harness the demand in the sub-region.
They said it would bring competitive pricing, and reliable electricity to grow and develop the various local economies in the sub-region.
The ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) regulates the regional cross-border trade of electricity in West Africa.
The commitment of ECOWAS Member States to achieve electricity interconnections for the pooling and sharing of energy resources in the region is translated into action through the adoption of several provisions to establish an appropriate legal and institutional framework for developing the electricity sector in West Africa.
In order to set systems in place to provide electricity supply in the sub-region, there will be the need to implement policies for member countries in the electricity common market.
Although stakeholders in the energy space believe frameworks and policies in the electricity sector are scattered across the sub-region, there will be a need to harmonize these policies and directives to make electricity affordable.
ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority ERERA is using the 9th upcoming annual regional energy forum to address the bottom neck that exists in the electricity sector in the West African subregion.
Addressing the media, the Chairman of ERERA, Kocou Laurent Tossou said the west African subregion has the opportunity to trade electricity but needs infrastructure to transmit.
“The Authority has set many policy frameworks and security measures for the sub-region to collaborate and be energy sufficient,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Oscar Amonoo-Neizer, believes the forum will bring experts from the subregion that will develop a strong resilience to establish a West African electricity market to break barriers.
He said different types of energy resources are abundant in West African countries. If these countries can harness the energy resources, it will bring competitive pricing and reliable electricity to grow the sub-region.
“In some countries, we have excess natural gas, solar, energy, hydro, and wind energy. If we can put all these renewable energy resources together and operate in one market it will reduce the price of electricity and energy availability,” he said.
“The time is now, we don’t have to procrastinate, it is time for all onboard to transform the energy sector in West Africa,” Mr Amono-Neizer indicated.
The Executive Secretary of the Public Utility Regulatory Authority, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, said it is cheaper to import electricity than to produce. He added that it is 40% cheaper for Sierra Leone to import electricity from cote d`Ivoire.
“Why are we not exporting and trading electricity among ourselves?” He asked
He urged all stakeholders to come together to solve investment, transmission inadequacies as well as harmonization of energy generation. He stated the upcoming two days forum starting from July 24th to 25th is an avenue to take stock in terms of trade, accessibility of energy resources, taking advantage of new technologies and breaking barriers in the sector.
“We cannot fail in that direction, we have to unite to provide real and timely solutions,” he reiterated
By Kingsley Adusei Amakye Onua TV/3FM
