ECOWAS LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG 20/20) INITIATIVE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN SIERRA LEONE

The Government of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), officially launched the ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Initiative on 28 April 2026 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Marking a major step toward expanding access to clean cooking energy nationwide. The launch was held alongside a high-level policy dialogue focused on clean cooking, gender equality, and child protection.

The initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a safer, cleaner household energy source, with a pilot phase expected to facilitate the transition of up to 10,000 households to clean cooking gas canisters across the country. Officials said the programme is intended to improve public health, reduce environmental harm, and support the transition away from traditional cooking fuels. In fact, this initiative is meant to create an enabling environment for private investment, standards, and supply chains that make LPG more available and affordable.

The launch was honoured by the presence of His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. He was accompanied by Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr Fatima Maada Bio; Kenya’s First Lady, Ms Rachel Ruto; and Ghana’s former Second Lady, Ms Samira Bawumia. This highlights Sierra Leone’s broader commitment to transforming the energy sector and achieving sustainable development.

Ambassador John Azuma, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Sierra Leone, emphasised that the official launch of the pilot phase of the ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Initiative in Sierra Leone reinforces the principle of inclusive access to modern energy services and ensures that vulnerable groups are fully integrated into the energy transition. He emphasised the need for strong coordination between the ministries responsible for energy, education, gender, health, water resources and finance in order to achieve broader results. Finally, he reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to working closely with Sierra Leone and all other member states to ensure the successful implementation and sustainability of this initiative.

As a reminder, the ECOWAS LPG20/20 Initiative is a special programme of the ECOWAS Directorate of Energy and Mines executed through an MoU signed by the ECOWAS Commission and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Energy in September 2025. The Sierra Leone Clean Cooking Delivery Unit (CCDU) has been appointed as the implementation entity.