As part of the effort to ensure investment and productivity, the Economic Community of the West African State is committed to the construction of dams in the various localities to boost the power supply in the region.
President of the ECOWAS Commission Jean-Claude Kassi-Brou disclosed this while presenting the 2022 Interim report on the state of the community at the EOWAS Parliament First Ordinary session held in Abuja.
He said through this project nine member countries have been interconnected, stressing that the remaining five countries will be connected by December 2022 to enhance business opportunities and investment in the ECOWAS states.
While speaking, Jean noted that the dams which were being constructed in six different areas will be launched in 2023 so as to finalize their interconnection in the sub-region.
“Now dams are being constructed in various areas and then six centers of coordination in west Africa power pull also it will be finalized and so we hoped that it will be launched the next year 2023 once it is finalized all the interconnection.
We hope we launch that in countries that are interconnected and that we make it possible to sell and buy through this energy market system.
And this is a very strong encouragement for investors that once this is being put in place effectively, they know that they can invest and produce for the local market and also for the broader market.
We have many projects that are being implemented by the commissi
- Access to electricity is 125 million dollars from the World Bank, which will make it possible to electrify various areas’ locality through the construction of low and medium tension wires and also transformers around about 52 households should be connected by 2024.
- We have projects connected to access to electricity that is technologically fostering energy that is a project of the World Bank for 425 billion dollars that the commission is implementing as an implanting agency, and then will help to electrify 200 localities through the construction.”
Contributing to the presentation, Hon Fatoumatta Njai, Gambia laments the lack of access to potable water even as she called on regional governments to make policies that will address issues of child abuse.
“80 percent of our population still lack access to clean and potable water yet is termed as a necessity what are we also doing, weeks ago I was on the way going to Dakar and it was 6 am in the morning Mr. speaker I was so sucking that as young as 6 years old out in the street, 6 am in the morning and that is a course for concern we should get our authorities to really work on that.”
