Report: Strengthening partnerships for an accelerated promotion of stand-alone solar systems in Africa

By Adeola Aroso

Lome, Togo – The Third Regional Off-Grid Electrification Project (ROGEP) was held in Lome, Togo. The theme was “Strengthening Partnership for an Accelerated deployment of Stand-alone Solar Systems in West Africa and the Sahel”. The two-day forum brought a diverse group of stakeholders in the energy sector together with from 19 project countries mainly from ECOWAS member states and the Sahel, investors, rural electrification agencies, development partners, commercial financial institutions, national and regional standards bodies, ministries in charge of energy, as well as civil society groups. 

The conference also marked the launch of the implementation phase of ROGEP, which was approved for funding by the World Bank on April 17, 2019. ROGEP is one of the ECOWAS Community development projects designed to increase electricity access of households, businesses, and communities using modern stand-alone solar systems (such as solar lanterns, solar home systems, solar water pumps, solar mills, and solar sewing machines) through a harmonised regional approach, supported by the World Bank Group, Lighting Africa and the Clean Technology Fund, implemented by ECREEE and BOAD.

Welcome remarks were given by the Resident Representative of the World Bank in Togo, Ms. Hawa Wague and the Executive Director of ECREEE, Mr. Mahama Kappiah.

Ms. Wague explained how access to electricity is central to any development program and that the World Bank is committed to partner with ECREEE to successfully implement the ROGEP project. This will help to make a big change in the lives of ordinary citizens in the countries covered by the project.

In his speech, Mr. Kappiah reminded participants that the objective of ROGEP is to eradicate energy poverty through the development of a viable business ecosystem for the rapid deployment of stand-alone solar systems in the project countries. He thanked the World Bank and Clean Technology Fund for financing the initiative, which he said will help to address energy access deficit in the project countries and informed participants that ROGEP will be providing financial support to entrepreneurs in this line of business, and reduce risk to businesses that embark on these new technologies and business models. 

Mr. Kappiah informed participants on some of the activities and achievements of ROGEP since its start in 2017 in Dakar, Senegal. Some of these include national stakeholder consultations in the project countries, two regional meetings during which common grounds for the implementation of the project were defined and adopted. Also, a Market Assessment was conducted and regional standards for Solar Home Systems adopted by the ECOWAS Committee meetings held recently. He said pilot projects are currently being carried out in Niger and Nigeria to assess the potential of providing energy services to public institutions such as schools and hospitals.

The special adviser to the President of West African Development Bank (BOAD), Christophe Agueggy also spoke during the commencement address and shared how the ROGEP project will promote renewable energy in areas not covered by the national grid. Mr. Agueggy talked about the importance of energy and the excellent partnership between BOAD, ECREEE and the World Bank, which he said will help to spur development in member countries.

The opening ceremony speech was delivered by the Director of Energy, Dr. Tchapo Akassewa Singo on behalf of the Togolese Minister of Energy and Mines, Marc Ably Bidamon. Dr. Singo emphasized on the importance of energy security in member countries noting that provision of energy services will help to spur sustainable development, growth as well as job creation.  He urged participants to come up with workable recommendations for the effective implementation phase.

During the conference, topics on the off-grid sector in the region were presented by ECREEE, BOAD, the World Bank, CTF and consultants who have been connected with the project. The highlights of a Market Assessment conducted during the preparation of the project was presented and deliberated upon. The speakers shared their insights on the sector, challenges, and developments as well as the role of finance in improving the access to energy by the consumer. Other subject areas such as Productive Uses, Public Institution Electrification the role of the private and public sector were also presented and discussed by various speakers. 

Some participants also suggested ECREEE and those in the business of renewable energy should consider focusing on products meant for Africa by African manufacturers instead of importing them as this creates a sustainable economy for the people. Others added that evaluating the success of the Kenyan Lighting Africa model and adapting it for West Africa.

Eniola Fatimilehin, West African Business Development Manager for Greenlight Planet, Nigeria, was one of the panelists on an Enabling Environment and she talked about how harmonizing tax rates, cross-border trade, and an altogether enabling environment that allows for the easy movement of products in West Africa.

 Leah Soumah, CEO of FLS Group, Sierra Leone, talked on Private Sector Support Facility encouraged people to consider having a hybrid strategy while working in this line of business, shared ideas on getting to the people at the last-mile. Ms. Soumah was very vocal about enforcing standards regionally and globally while urging businesses to take input from their suppliers before creating products meant for the West African market.

 On the second and final day of the conference, there were exciting sessions on Access to Finance, Gender and Energy, and Efficiency for Access.

Soma Dutta, the Programme Coordinator at ENERGIA International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, spoke on Gender in the transition to sustainable energy for all and shared evidence and lessons learned from incorporating gender in energy projects, programmes, and policy as well as recommendations for ROGEP. ENERGIA’s programme approach includes women’s economic empowerment, enabling policy environment, thought leadership and facilitating alliances & strategic partnerships.

Charles Miller, Senior Policy Advisor at Energy Saving Trust and Efficiency for Access spoke on how to promote high-quality off-grid appliances, the role of appliances in clean energy access. Mr. Miller cautioned against hasty mandatory regulations in a nascent industry as this could hamper innovation, but there should be a focus on voluntary standards which can serve as the groundwork for mandatory standards in the long run.

For those who are new to this, ROGEP was launched by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) with funding from the World Bank to the project will identify policy barriers affecting the growth of the stand-alone solar market through a regional-level initiative. The project is focused on all the 15-member states of the ECOWAS as well as 4 from the Sahel –Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania and the Central Africa Republic. The project will create awareness within the policymakers in member states on the benefits of removing policy barriers and provide targeted support for barrier removal in challenging markets, it will also help the countries adopt the Common External Tariff (CET) to facilitate cross-border trade of stand-alone solar products, and subsequently, develop regional standards on quality assurance (QA) framework of stand-alone solar products to facilitate supply of eligible products across the 19 project countries.

 The ultimate project beneficiaries will be the people currently living without access to electricity connection or living with unreliable electricity supply within the 19 ROGEP countries and the project hopes to provide electricity services to about 1.7 million people, half of which will be women.

This report is based on the presentations and readers are encouraged to visit www.ecreee.org access the full conference materials.