Like other regions of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) faces many challenges as it strives to reduce poverty and improve the socioeconomic well being of its population. One of the key challenges facing economic growth in the region is limited access to modern energy services and growing energy security challenges. The region faces widespread and unsustainable production and use of traditional biomass (firewood and charcoal).

Climate change is causing unprecedented variations in the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events: floods, droughts and heatwaves. How African countries prepare for and manage these extreme events would be fundamental to the performance of their economies and realisation of their development aspirations as embodied in various national development plans, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

PIDA is a continent-wide program to develop a vision, policies, strategies and a programme for the development of priority regional and continental infrastructure in transport, energy, trans-boundary water and ICT.  The Program’s Sector Studies, which are to be supported by the requested IPPF Grant, will prepare detailed analysis of strategic options for the development of the continental infrastructure in Transport, Energy, ICT and Trans-boundary Water based on a common vision to emanate from consultative/validation workshops at sector, regional and continental levels.

Since 2014, Power Africa is making a difference across all sectors, from health and education, to gender and agriculture. As of July 31, 2019, 56 of Power Africa’s 124 financially closed projects are up and running and turning more Lights On by producing 3,486 MW of new electricity that transforms businesses, economies, and livelihoods. More than 68 million people in sub-Saharan Africa now have first-time access to electricity thanks to the 14.8 million new home and business connections facilitated by Power Africa support.

Lighting Africa is part of the World Bank Group’s contribution to Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll). It is implemented in partnership with the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the governments of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

The Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement are the world’s commitment to safeguarding the global commons. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with its unique mandate to support inclusive and sustainable industrial development, has partnered with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to address the most pressing global environmental challenges of our time.