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Praia September 19th, 2022 – A delegation from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) is currently in Praia on a three-day mission as guest of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE).
The delegation which comprises of Raquel Ferrando, Head of Cooperation Office in Nigeria and for ECOWAS Embassy of Spain in Nigeria and Violeta Insa Sandoval, Regional Cooperation Adviser with Subsaharan Africa, are holding discussions with ECREEE on their strategic partnership in a bid to foster the gains already registered as well as to explore future cooperation framework. The discussions with ECREEE management will also focus on the Spain – ECOWAS special cooperation strategy, which will pave the way for ECREEE as an ECOWAS agency with the mandate to promote sustainable energy in the region to start the implementation of its 3rd strategic plan.
Speaking at a brief welcoming, the Executive Director of ECREEE, Mr. Francis Sempore, on behalf of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization, welcomed the Spanish delegation and expressed his satisfaction for hosting them. He said that AECID has been one of the main donors, supporting ECREEE since its inception noting that AECID’s contributions has always been critical to Centre’s development and in accomplishing its mission and strategic objectives.
The Executive Director also made a presentation to the delegation, highlighting important milestones achieved by the Centre during its 12 years of operation, including the adoption of important policies concerning renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as the role of the Centre in achieving the vision of universal access to energy by 2030.
The Executive Director also shed light on the relatively new project on Promoting Agricultural Competitiveness through Solar Energy (PAC-SOLAR), which aims to support the region’s agricultural businesses to produce more through affordable and reliable option of harnessing its abundant renewable energy resources towards providing a stable supply of water for irrigation and other agricultural purposes. This project has already benefited more than 4,000 rural women farmers gaining access to a steady supply of water for agricultural irrigation and implemented 4 pilot projects in Benin, The Gambia, Niger and Senegal.
ECREEE will continue to coordinate projects and programs relating to the promotion and development of renewable energy resources, the water and energy Nexus and the increase of energy efficiency to improve access to modern energy services and energy and food security in Member States. This is one of the core strategic objectives of ECREEE and the Centre acknowledges that such objectives can only be achieved through a strong cooperation framework with its partners, and AECID had been an exemplary partner in this endeavor.