Workshop report 
Policy Brief 26 
Participants’ photo
The Smart Villages Initiative, the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), and the European Union Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI PDF) were pleased to host the ‘High-level workshop on energy access in West Africa’ in March 2017.
The workshop served as a kick-off event for a wider capacity-building engagement on clean energy mini-grids (CEMGs) in the ECOWAS region and will provide relevant insights to the challenges facing countries in West Africa with regards to CEMGs. In addition, a core component of the workshop is an opportunity to reflect on, and consequently to refine, the conclusions and recommendations from the Smart Villages West Africa engagement programme. The objective was to communicate the experiences, views, and recommendations of front-line individuals and organisations to policymakers in West Africa on how off-grid energy access can be achieved so as to catalyse productive enterprise and the provision of essential services such as healthcare and education in rural villages.
Programme:
| Day 1 - Monday, March 27, 2017 | |
| 08:15 | Registration |
| 08:30 | Welcome address John Holmes, Smart Villages Initiative (SVI) Crispen Zana, EUEI PDF Mahama Kappiah, ECREEE |
| 09:15 | Group photo |
| 09:30 | Introduction to workshop agenda, Nicola Bugatti (ECREEE) |
| 09:45 | Introduction to the Smart Villages Initiative, John Holmes (SVI) |
| 10:00 | Summary of findings: Smart Villages Initiative’s West Africa engagement, John Holmes (SVI) |
| 10:30 | Key note 1 and Q&A: Promoting private enterprises’ interest in PPP mini-grid development Jannik Moller (GIZ Nigerian Energy Support Programme) |
| 11:00 | Tea break |
| 11:30 | Breakout session: Discussion around SVI’s key findings from West Africa engagement programmes |
| 12:35 | Feedback on breakout discussion session |
| 13:00 | Lunch break |
| 14:15 | Plenary session 1 and Q&A: Clean Energy Mini Grid (CEMG) targets, goals and situation in ECOWAS countries. Preliminary findings of the CNA. Regional initiative for the promotion of an enabling environment for investment in CEMG. Nicola Bugatti (ECREEE) |
| 14:45 | Interactive discussion session 1: Policy and regulatory framework for CMEGs including successes and challenges of ECOWAS national experiences. Moderator: Peggy Mischke, RECP Policy Advisory Energy and Electricity Policy |
| A1. National Electricity or Electrification Policy | |
| A2. Rural Electrification Strategy and Master Plan | |
| A3. Energy and Electricity Law (incl. Implementing Institutions) • Dele Shobayo, Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy (MLME), Liberia • Ghislain Tanoh CI-ENERGIE, Cote D’Ivoire |
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| A4. Tariff Policy and Regulation (incl. Connection Fee) • Karine Monteiro, Economic Regulatory Agency (ARE), Cape Verde • Benjamin Kamara, Ministry of Energy, Sierra Leone |
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| 15:45 | Tea break |
| 16:15 | Interactive discussion session 2: Policy and regulatory framework for CEMGs including reference to successes and challenges of ECOWAS national experiences Moderator: Peggy Mischke, RECP Policy Advisory team Economic Policy and Regulation |
| B1. Fiscal Policy and Regulation (Taxation, Import Duty, etc.) • Ampadu Otu-Danquah, Energy Commission, Ghana Customer Protection and Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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| C1. Technical Regulation (incl. Grid Connection) | |
| C2. Quality of Service Regulation | |
| C3. Environmental Policy and Regulation • Quality Assurance Framework for Mini-Grids, Ian Baring-Gould, US National Renewable Energy Laboratory • Alfred Dieng, Rural Electrification Agency of Senegal (ASER) |
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| 17:15 | Closing remarks |
