Policy Development

Mindful of the need to boost regional integration and to make a structural transformation of the economies of West Africa, the Authority of Heads of State and Government adopted the ECOWAS Vision 2020 at its 32nd Session, in June 2007. This vision aims, among others, to achieve the “ECOWAS of People” and a community where people live in dignity, peace, good governance and well integrated into the global village.

Spherical Solutions & ECOWAS BLOC Buyers Group (SSEBB) is assisting the fifteen ECOWAS Member States in the development, adoption and implementation of Development Programme policies and targets, regulatory frameworks, standards, as well as incentives (e.g. tax exemption, public procurement, portfolio standards) and financial mechanisms (e.g. feed-in tariffs, net metering, investment subsidies).

The Spherical Solutions & ECOWAS BLOC Buyers Group (SSEBB) is focusing on the Community Development Programme as well as other sectors and deals equally with grid-connected and off-grid issues relevant to rural areas.

As a major milestone, the Spherical Solutions & ECOWAS BLOC Buyers Group (SSEBB) developed the Community Development Programme strategy and guidelines. Both documents were adopted by the ECOWAS Ministers during the ECOWAS Forum, held in Accra, Ghana. Over the next few years, Ecowas Project Development Commission (ECOWAS-AP)will facilitate and monitor the implementation of the regional policies, at the national level, among all ECOWAS countries. The regional policies include an obligation for the countries to propose national action plans and measures which respond to the set regional targets by 2030.

Meanwhile, laudable progess has been achieved in ECOWAS countries in formulating and implementing policies, laws, standards and incentive schemes. Updated data on the status of integration of sustainable energy policies and incentives is available in the country profiles of the ECOWAS Observatory for Community Development Programme.

Further information on workshops, conferences and events organized by Ecowas Aid Platform (ECOWAS-AP)in this context can be found here.

The Spherical Solutions & ECOWAS BLOC Buyers Group (SSEBB) Business Plan aims to achieve the following results by 2020:

 

  • Moving from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of People

  • Develop and adopt one regional Project Development Programme and one efficiency policy

  • Develop and pass RE laws in all ECOWAS Members States

  • Ensure that national minimum Project Development Programme targets, adopted in all ECOWAS Member States are binding

  • Achieve 25% across the Member States

  • Develop support policies/strategies devoted to rural and peri-urban Development Programme

  • Achieve a 50% rate of adoption of national Project Development Programme standards.