West African Development Bank Mission (WADB)

The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) will receive at its headquarters in Praia, Cape Verde, a high-level delegation from the West African Development Bank (Banque Ouest africaine de developpement, in French), composed by Mr. Eric BIO, special adviser in the Office of the Chairman and Director of the Carbon Fund project and Mr. Mahamadou BIGA, Head of the Public sector department at the Direction of Rural development and Infrastructures of the Bank, from 12th to 14th June 2013. The visit aims to strengthen cooperation initiated between ECREEE and BOAD. Within the Investment and Business Promotion Programme, ECREEE is committed to work with all finance partners in the region in order to provide support to promoters of projects in its portfolio.

In 2013, ECREEE identified around 730 projects in the region at different stage of development. ECREEE is willing to provide support to those projects with capacity building, knowledge sharing and direct funding to preparatory activities. The visit of BOAD is within the commitment of ECREEE to build with partners a sustainable renewable energy industry for energy access of populations in West Africa.

ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) is a specialized agency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that acts as an independent body, within the legal, administrative and financial framework of ECOWAS rules and regulations.  The overall objective of ECREEE is to contribute to the sustainable economic, social and environmental development of West Africa by improving access to modern, reliable and affordable energy services, energy security as well as reduction of energy related GHG emissions and climate change impacts on the energy system. The specific objective of ECREEE is to create favorable framework conditions and an enabling environment for renewable energy and energy efficiency markets by supporting activities directed to mitigate existing barriers. More information is available at www.ecreee.org.

Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD) (West African Development Bank, in English) is a regional Multilateral Development Bank established in 1973 to serve the nations of Francophone and Lusophone West Africa. It is organized by the Central Bank of West African States and its eight member governments: Benin, Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. BOAD’s mission statement focuses on three development goals: poverty reduction, economic integration and promotion of private sector activity. The bank disburses long- and medium-term loans to BOAD member governments and public institutions, private businesses involved in development projects of regional importance, as well as lines of credit to finance micro-credit projects and small to medium private enterprises. More information is available at www.boad.org.