Validation workshop for the new ECOWAS Observatory for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECOWREX)

Validation of the new ECOWREX platform

Cotonou – Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – The official opening ceremony of the validation workshop for the new ECOWAS Observatory for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECOWREX) took place on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Cotonou, Benin.

The ECOWAS Observatory for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, known as ECOWREX, was adopted by ECOWAS Energy Ministers in October 2012 in Accra (Ghana) as a tool to support decision-making and planning by making available quality information and data on sustainable energy in West Africa. ECOWREX is a vital resource for policy and strategy development, while fostering regional collaboration. To increase the impact of ECOWREX and ensure its alignment with regional and national sustainable energy policies, the new platform is designed according to international standards and incorporates updated data, new functionalities and improved ergonomics to facilitate use by all stakeholders promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. The new platform is designed to enable data interoperability with the Energy Information Systems of the African Union, ECOWAS and UEMOA.

The validation workshop brought together National Energy Data Focal Points from ECOWAS Member States, Energy Data Experts from the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ARREC), the West African Power Pool (WAPP), the Energy and Mines Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission, as well as representatives of the African Union Energy Commission (AFREC), the Energy and Mines Directorate of the WAEMU Commission, and Technical and Financial Partners (GiZ, UNDP Sub-Regional Office for West and Central Africa, UNDP Country Offices).

The revamping of ECOWREX and the organization of the validation workshop are organized with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as part of the “ Support to Rural Electrification by Renewable Energy Systems in the Liptako-Gourma Region – Pilot Phase ‘ ER-ALG Project, and of GiZ through the ’ ProMERC ” Program for the Promotion of a Climate Friendly Electricity Market in West Africa.

Discover the new ECOWREX platform at www.ecowrex.org

Watch the presentation video on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qly2Hi3ceyI