DAKAR, Senegal — A major parliamentary summit is opening in the Senegalese capital this week to address the energy crisis gripping rural West Africa, where millions of citizens still live without access to reliable electricity.
Members of the ECOWAS Parliament are gathering in Dakar for a five-day joint committee meeting to unlock the region’s vast, untapped green energy potential and accelerate rural electrification.
The high-level talks, running from 15 to 19 June, bring together regional MPs, energy experts, private sector players, and development partners. Operating under the theme of harnessing renewable energy to empower rural economies, the summit will focus heavily on how decentralized systems—such as solar mini-grids and hybrid installations—can bridge the stark energy gap.
Despite localized progress, the lack of electricity remains a critical barrier to development across the sub-region, crippling agricultural productivity, digital inclusion, healthcare, and education. ECOWAS has set an ambitious target to achieve universal access to sustainable and affordable energy by 2030, a goal that officials say increasingly relies on legislative and parliamentary action.
Three key parliamentary bodies under the legislature—the committees on energy and mines, agriculture and environment, and infrastructure—are driving the joint sessions.
Lawmakers will review existing regional frameworks and assess the progress of specialized body frameworks, including the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA).
A key focus will be identifying the bottlenecks holding back regional investment, despite West Africa possessing some of the world’s highest potential for solar and hydropower deployment.
As part of the fact-finding mission, MPs will travel to a renewable energy installation in Senegal to meet local entrepreneurs, women, and youth groups. Officials say the field visit is designed to give lawmakers a firsthand look at how clean energy can transform local livelihoods and stimulate small businesses.
The week-long session is expected to conclude with the adoption of a framework to boost infrastructure investment and strengthen parliamentary oversight across the bloc.
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