Director of AECID Visits ECREEE, Commends Strategic Partnership with ECOWAS Commission in Advancing Sustainable Energy in West Africa

Praia, July 9, 2025  – The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) was honoured to receive Mr. Antón Leis García, Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), during an official visit to its headquarters in Praia, Cabo Verde.

During the visit, the Executive Director of ECREEE, Mr. Francis Sempore, provided a comprehensive presentation on the Centre’s mission, strategic programmes, and impact across the ECOWAS region. He acknowledged the historic and fruitful collaboration with AECID, which has been instrumental since the Centre’s establishment in 2010. This partnership has contributed in technical and financial support, enabling ECREEE to deliver tangible results in areas such as sustainable energy promotion, access to clean cooking solutions, gender mainstreaming in energy access, the development of a regional circular economy & exergy-water-food nexus, and more.

Mr. Leis García expressed his appreciation for the work carried out by ECREEE and its contributions to regional development, reaffirming AECID’s commitment to West Africa and its recognition of ECREEE and ECOWAS as strategic partners. “The ECOWAS region is a strategic priority for AECID,” said Mr. Leis García. “We are very pleased with the outcomes of our collaboration with ECREEE. Working with specialized regional agencies like ECREEE ensures that our development cooperation delivers concrete, impactful results on the ground.” Both parties discussed cooperation perspectives in the framework of the new cooperation programme between AECID and ECOWAS that looks forward to deepen and scale up cooperation in the framework of the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency investment projects.

The visit reaffirmed the strong and enduring relationship between ECREEE and AECID, built on shared values and a joint commitment to advancing the ECOWAS regional sustainable energy agenda. Both parties expressed their willingness to further strengthen cooperation in support of inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon development in West Africa.