DAKAR, SENEGAL — Renewable energy must serve as more than a technical fix for electricity demand; it must be a key driver in transforming economic activities, particularly in rural areas. This was the core message delivered by Fourth Deputy Speaker Billay Tunkara, who spoke on behalf of Speaker Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima to open the five-day ECOWAS Parliament Delocalized Joint Committee Meeting in Dakar.
Tunkara urged member states to utilize innovative financing, technology transfer, and robust legislative oversight to make clean energy a catalyst for empowering women, youth, and farmers. He also commended Senegal’s steps toward energy transition under President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, calling for rapid investment in renewable energy to drive rural electrification and economic transformation across West Africa.
The regional meeting is centered on the theme “Harnessing Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification and Empowerment of Rural Economies in the ECOWAS Region: The Role of the ECOWAS Parliament.” Lawmakers, experts, and private sector stakeholders are focusing on legislative, financial, and policy solutions to address West Africa’s persistent energy deficit despite its vast clean energy potential.
Following Tunkara’s opening remarks, the Head of the Senegalese Delegation, Guy Marius Sagna, highlighted the stark disparity between the region’s resources and its actual utilization, noting that rural electricity access in the ECOWAS zone remains capped at around 12 percent. Sagna argued that achieving energy sovereignty is fundamental to tackling poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity across West Africa.
Joint Committee Chair Fanta Conte also warned that electricity access drops below 10 percent in the region’s most remote areas, severely crippling healthcare, agriculture, and education. Conte stated that the parliament’s primary role is to ensure regional framework commitments—such as the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Policy—are successfully integrated into national legislation and executed on the ground.
The deliberations continue through June 19, featuring technical presentations and a field visit to renewable energy installations in Mboursine village to help shape future parliamentary frameworks.
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