The ECOWAS Commission said it has targeted over seven hundred thousand people in nineteen countries within the sub-region for electricity access through the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP).
According to a report from the Regional Commission, disclosed on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, during a presentation on the project at the ongoing delocalized meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament in Dakar, Senegal, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, explained that ROGEAP aims to improve access to electricity for households, businesses, and public institutions by using modern off-grid solar technology through a harmonized regional approach. The project comprises two main components: the development of a regional market implemented by the ECOWAS Commission, and access to finance for off-grid solar system companies, to be implemented by BOAD.
According to the Commission, the project is funded by the World Bank with co-financing from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Government of the Netherlands, amounting to USD 345 million. A Regional Policy and Regulatory Framework for the project includes the following:
- a) Strengthening regional energy access policies: This seeks to ensure the organization of national workshops for policymakers in project countries to raise awareness of off-grid solar technologies and to identify technical assistance needs. These include, but are not limited to, influencing improvements to national electricity access policy and the regulatory framework through regional engagement and capacity-building workshops.
It also seeks the adoption of regional standards and a quality assurance framework for off-grid stand-alone photovoltaic systems (up to 350 WP) in June 2023, and its sub-components include:
- b) Sub-component 1B – Technical support for entrepreneurship: This sub-component provides technical support for entrepreneurs and offers targeted support to businesses throughout the business development lifecycle (start-up, early stage, growth, and maturity). It also ensures the strengthening of capacities, skills, and expertise of eligible enterprises and the removal of barriers related to information and knowledge to attract new players to the off-grid solar system market.
Furthermore, this sub-component provides entrepreneurship and business training for start-ups and upcoming off-grid solar companies in participating countries, and targets training for women entrepreneurs in all categories.
- c) Sub-component 1C – Financial support for entrepreneurs and matching grants for start-up businesses: This catalytic grant is designed to support a critical mass of entrepreneurs in the development of products and business models. It ensures that funding will be provided through a matching grant and will primarily target companies in Phase 1, as well as selected companies in intermediate phases, with grant amounts ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 25,000. The company shall provide co-funding equivalent to twenty-five percent (25%) of the grant amount through its own resources, external sources, and eligible in-kind contributions. The matching grant will be awarded for a period of 12 months.
Meanwhile, some of ROGEAP’s key achievements include the provision of electricity access to 324,000 people as of March 2026.
“Seven hundred thousand people have now been targeted for connection by December 2026 in 19 countries, including 700 businesses and over 600 public institutions such as schools and health facilities,” Dr. Touray stated.
The Commission also noted achievements such as the allocation of USD 11.9 million to Sahel countries, with 81% of this amount granted to SMEs. Another USD 74.5 million has been allocated to 165 SMEs through BOAD credit lines, with seven MFIs granted to Mali, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso combined.
