AFREC Launches Landmark Diagnostic Reports and Action Plans to Strengthen National Energy Data Systems Across Africa

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December 18, 2025

Dakar, Senegal, 18 December 2025: The African Energy Commission (AFREC) has officially launched a new set of Diagnostic Reports and Five-Year Action Plans aimed at supporting African Union (AU) Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in establishing and/or improving their National and Regional Energy Information Systems (NEIS/REIS).

The high-level event, held in Dakar, Senegal from 17–19 December 2025, brought together Permanent Secretaries, senior energy officials, national coordinators, and technical partners to mark a major milestone in Africa’s drive toward data-driven energy policymaking and continental integration.

The opening ceremony was led by Mr. Rashdi Ali Abdallah, Executive Director of AFREC, alongside Mr Cheikh Niane, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mining (MPE) of Senegal.

In his keynote address, Mr. Abdallah emphasised that reliable and harmonised energy data is no longer optional, but essential for Africa’s energy security, investment planning, and policy sovereignty. “No effective energy policy can exist without reliable energy data, and no continental integration can succeed without credible and harmonised Energy Information Systems,” Mr. Abdallah stated.

The programme builds on AFREC’s successful first phase, which supported ten AU Member States to strengthen their national energy data systems. The second phase, launched in October 2024, expands support to additional 16 AU Member States, including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, and the Gambia. Other countries include Liberia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, and Tunisia, as well as two Regional Economic Communities, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Meanwhile, Mr Cheikh Niane, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mining (MPE) of Senegal underscored the importance of political will in elevating energy information systems in Africa. “Strong political will is essential to prioritise energy statistics as a strategic pillar of our national programmes. By fostering peer-to-peer knowledge exchange among our countries, we can adopt best practices, strengthen capacity, improve data quality, and drive sustainable improvements across the African energy sectors.”

With technical support from the Innovation Energie Development-IED Consult and ENERDATA, the consultant consortium of this assignment, AFREC worked closely with national coordinators to develop country-specific diagnostic reports and action plans. These documents were technically validated in Lomé, Togo in July 2025 and are now being officially handed over to governments at the Dakar meeting, signalling strong political commitment to implementation.

The reports outline priority reforms, investments, and capacity-building needs required to develop modern, reliable, and harmonised energy statistics systems capable of supporting universal energy access, industrialisation, energy security, and a just energy transition.

AFREC is committed to work with African Member States to mobilise financing and technical support for the implementation of the national and regional action plans. The reports will also be presented to the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Transport and Energy, reinforcing continental ownership and political backing.

The Dakar launch underscores AFREC’s role as the continental authority for energy data governance, reaffirming Africa’s commitment to building strong institutions where data drives decisions and shapes the continent’s energy future.

About AFREC - The African Energy Commission (AFREC) is the African Union’s specialized technical agency mandated to develop energy policies, strategies, research and plans for Africa’s energy sector, recommend their implementation, and support Member States through practical tools, capacity building and knowledge exchange.

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