African Energy Ministers have agreed on a common strategy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to position the sector to power the recovery plan after the pandemic. The agreement was reached at an extra ordinary meeting of the Bureau of the Sub-Committee on Energy of the Specialised Specialized Technical Committee meeting on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism (STC-TTIIET) held on 12th May 2020 by video conference. The Bureau of the Sub-Committee on Energy comprises Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Somalia and Togo representing their respective regions of Northern, Central, Southern, Eastern and Western Africa. The meeting was convened by the Department of Infrastructure & Energy of the African Union Commission (AUC), to develop a continental COVID-19 response and recovery plan.
The Ministers commended the actions taken by the African Union in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic led by the Bureau of the Heads of State and Government as well as the efforts made by the Member States, the AUC, AU Specialized Agencies and Regional Organisations.
The Bureau adopted a Declaration calling for various measures to provide energy for critical health facilities and front line services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Declaration expresses the Member States’ commitment to work together to ensure a coordinated continental response to the pandemic and joint strategy for recovery after the crisis. Recognising the critical role of power utilities, the Declaration called on Member States to support them to cope with low demand and reduction in revenues while continuing their mandate of providing electricity services. It further called for the promotion of clean cooking technologies to reduce incidences of indoor air pollution which is responsible for respiratory diseases that could aggravate the impact of COVID-19 in case of infection. The Bureau called for support for energy for water pumping and setting up of potable water stations to promote hygiene measures instituted to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
Addressing the meeting, the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Chairperson of the STC-TTIIET, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Shaker El Markabi said “The pandemic has caused unforeseen social and economic suffering, thereby negatively affecting prospects for growth. Energy is needed for facilities and processes that are essential in this fight. It is therefore, important to ensure that the sector remains resilient in the face of this unprecedented crisis as it will be pivotal in the post-COVID-19 recovery. We must, therefore, be prepared to play that role effectively”.
He noted that this is a crucial time for Member States to work together to come up with strategies for supporting the continent’s COVID-19 response measures and recovery efforts after the pandemic.
In her remarks, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, H.E. Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, noted that the energy sector has a critical role to play in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and an even greater role in the recovery period.
“It is crucial that the energy sector in Africa remains robust throughout the pandemic despite the drop in demand and decline in revenues induced by the COVID-19 response measures. This will enable the sector to play its role in the fight against the pandemic and provide the much needed energy for the recovery programmes”, the Commissioner told the meeting.
She underscored the need to support the vulnerable sections of the population to access energy, and commended Member States for coming up with various stimulus packages to minimise the economic burden induced by the coronavirus.
The meeting encouraged Member States to build partnerships with development partners, the private sector, social entrepreneurs, and national and international organizations, to support urgent provision of energy services for critical facilities and processes to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, and to support electrification of rural health centres and water pumping projects to improve hygiene measures which are key in fighting the spread of coronavirus. It further invited multilateral financial institutions and development partners to support rapid formulation and implementation of the post-COVID-19 Recovery Strategy for the African Energy Sector. The Bureau established a multi-institution Task Force to coordinate the implementation of the measures agreed upon.
The Bureau appreciated the quick action of the African Union Commission to convene the meeting and for its excellent organisation.
Note to the Editor
The Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism (STC-TTIIET) was established in February 2009 by the AU Assembly through its decision: Assembly/AU/Dec.227 (XII). The STC-TTIIET is the Ministerial decision-making organ of the African Union for the transport, energy and tourism sectors as well as overall infrastructure development matters. The STC Sub-Committee on Energy was established by STC-TTIIET in March 2017 at its first ordinary session held in Lomé, Togo.
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