From February 20 to 22, 2024, the electricity utilities of the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) are holding a workshop in Ouagadougou. At this meeting, technicians from EDM-SA, NIGELEC and SONABEL are working to devise more effective strategies for supplying member countries with electrical energy.
It is a meeting scheduled by the leaders of the Sahel trio with the aim of bringing together experts in energy production, transmission, distribution and marketing within the framework of energy cooperation between AES member states.
“The latest socio-political developments require the three companies to work more closely together. As technicians, our role is to draw the attention of our authorities to the economic, social and even security issues involved in supplying our countries with electrical energy in a difficult sub-regional socio-political context“, said Souleymane Ouédraogo, Managing Director of of National Electricity Company of Burkina Faso (SONABEL).
For Mali, this initiative is considered as a response to the Malian people’s recent experience of permanent power cuts in both residential and industrial areas, which have caused problems in the daily lives of the civilian population.
According to analysts, electricity supply is crucial to the country’s development. The transitional authorities are aware of the deplorable consequences of this load shedding. With this in mind, this workshop is an opportunity for the Malian government to find a lasting solution to this energy crisis.
On February 17, Niger decided to supply several neighboring countries with diesel to meet their energy needs. The decision was taken at a meeting of energy ministers from Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali, held in Niamey.
Chaired by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Energy Yacouba Zabré Gouba, the workshop aims to pool resources and skills to strengthen energy resilience in the ESA region.
