The West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WA-ECS) is set to tackle project development bottlenecks across the ECOWAS region and drive sustainable energy development across West Africa from 3-5 December 2024, in Lomé, Togo. The response from the private sector, who are actively looking for energy projects, but often frustrated by the pace of development, tells us this meeting is long overdue.

Under the distinguished patronage of the President of the Togolese Republic, H.E. Honourable Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, WA-ECS will address regional infrastructure and the energy projects critical to economic growth, driving forward West Africa’s critical mineral resource expansion programme in cooperation with power generation, and encouraging cross-border cooperation that will bolster regional energy development.

With success stories and blueprints from Senegal, Nigeria, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo itself, WA-ECS is urging greater collaboration between countries, sectors, private and public, to create new pathways and to reduce risk.  

The theme for the summit is ‘Empowering West Africa’s Growth Through Strategic Energy Partnership’. In recent years, the pace of large-scale projects has stalled due to the disruptive pace of getting projects green-lit. It is, therefore, vital for all stakeholders to be more direct in their dialogue to reverse this tide and restart the region's mineral-centric economies, and solar, wind, hydro, and gas IPPs sit firmly at the centre of this initiative.

“As the developers behind Togo’s first utility-scale renewable energy project, AMEA Power is excited to be part of this pivotal summit, and we anticipate fruitful discussions and solutions that will advance renewable energy in West Africa," said Hussein Matar, Senior Director, AMEA Power, the lead sponsor of WA-ECS. 

Positive signs are already visible with the ongoing development of the Lobito Corridor, the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, solar projects in Mauritania, Togo, and Mali, and the regional Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) programme, which is set to become operational in 2025.

However, the 2030 renewable energy goals to enhance trade through the West African Power Pool (WAPP) are still a long way from being on track, underscoring the need for private sector involvement and deeper collaboration with governments and the mining sector. A series of multilateral and independent investor, utility, and ministerial boardroom discussions will follow the Presidential Day of the summit, pushing energy access up the political agenda at the highest levels.

Ministers from The Gambia and Benin will be attending and speaking, alongside a strong contingent from the private and financial sectors. Kekeli Efficient Power, Genesis Energy, World Bank, BII, Shell Energy, Proparco, and Masdar are just some of the many who will contribute their unique perspective.

H.E. Honourable Robert Koffi Messan Eklo, Togo’s Minister of Mines and Energy Resources, says, “As a pivotal energy hub in West Africa, our country is uniquely positioned to lead in advancing regional energy cooperation. The West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit will be a cornerstone event where we can collectively shape the future of energy infrastructure, fostering growth that transcends borders and benefits all."