The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, concluded the Regional Appraisal Workshop on Regulatory Readiness and Institutional Capacity for Continental Electricity Trading under the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) in Abuja, Nigeria.

The three-day workshop gathered senior officials from Ministries and Regulatory Authorities of ECOWAS Member States together with representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, the West African Power Pool (WAPP), the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA), the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the African School of Regulation (ASR), the African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR), the African Power Utilities Association (APUA), and development partners. The event advanced the operationalization of AfSEM — a flagship initiative of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 — designed to create a single, integrated electricity market for Africa.

Opening the workshop, Hon. Abdou Koully, Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Commission, welcomed participants and reaffirmed AfSEM as a “strategic imperative to power industry and development for generations to come.” He commended WAPP and ERERA for their leadership, noting that “the Market Coordination Centre has been established, 14 States are now interconnected, and about 32 GWh of electricity is transmitted daily through harmonized regional practices.” He emphasized ECOWAS’ continued commitment to deepen regional cooperation and replicate these successes across other regions in coordination with the AUC.

Speaking on behalf of the African Union Commission, Ms. Sara Elhag, Head of the Energy Division, described the West Africa Appraisal Workshop as “a key step in the operationalization of AfSEM — a flagship of Agenda 2063.” She recalled AfSEM’s trajectory from the 2015 Conference of Energy Ministers of Africa (CEMA) mandate through the 2021 AfSEM Policy Paper and Roadmap to its launch in 2021, emphasizing its three foundational pillars: regulatory readiness and market harmonization, institutional strengthening, and infrastructure integration through the Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP).

Ms. Elhag commended the achievements of WAPP and ERERA and acknowledged the strong partnership of ECOWAS, ECREEE, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), AFUR, APUA, and the African School of Regulation (ASR).

Representing the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr. Solomon Sarpong, Senior Energy Economist, announced AfDB’s technical assistance and grant support to harmonize national and regional frameworks, develop bankable projects, and advance pre-investment and feasibility activities through dedicated assistance windows.

Delivering host country remarks, Hon. Musiliu Oseni, Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), endorsed AfSEM as a “great vision that requires collective action,” emphasizing that electricity lies at the heart of development. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to align national reforms with AfSEM processes.

The workshop also featured presentations from the European Union–Continental Energy Programme in Africa (EU–CEPA) Technical Assistance Programme and the BMZ–ENGAGE Initiative, both providing targeted support to the AUC for AfSEM implementation. The partners outlined efforts to strengthen regulatory harmonization, market operations, and utilities restructuring.

The workshop reached consensus on several priorities, including recalibrating AfSEM timelines toward deliverable-based implementation. Participants further recommended creating a Pre-Investment Support Window in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency (ECREEE).

The African Union Commission, working closely with the ECOWAS Commission, ERERA, WAPP, ECREEE, and partners, will guide implementation of the agreed action matrix to ensure alignment with the Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP).

For Media Inquiries: 

1. Ms. Bezayit Eyoel | Information Analyst | Department of Infrastructure and Energy| African Union Commission| E-mail: BezayitE@africanunion.org|
2. Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org