To create a robust West African energy network which promotes regional integration and development through recognition, advocacy and strategic partnerships that help realise the UN Sustainable Development Goals and make positive social impacts.
The WAPP Chamber is a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing sustainable energy development in West Africa. It hosts thoughtful and actionable discussions backed by research, identifies opportunities for projects, attracts resources for social impact initiatives, and seeks to create an enabling environment through advocacy and policy frameworks.
The Chamber is devoted to providing its members a dedicated forum for advancing, protecting and highlighting their common interests, and ensuring the adoption of enabling legislation and policies. Furthermore, it seeks to reinforce the interdependent relationship that exists between governments, sector players and financiers by highlighting how their complementary efforts ensure regional integration, development and expansion within the West Africa energy sub-region.
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, Togo, Benin, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea.
The West African region has a vast renewable energy potential sufficient to cover unmet power demand and achieve universal access to electricity while supporting the region’s transition to a low-carbon growth path. In July 2013 the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Policy (EREP); this aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the region’s overall electricity mix to 35% in 2020 and 48% in 2030 (to 10% and 19%, respectively, excluding large hydro). Complementing the EREP is the ECOWAS Energy Efficiency Policy (EEEP), which aims to make available 2000 megawatts of power generation capacity through efficiency gains and ultimately double the rate of improvements in energy efficiency.
With almost 60% of recent discovered reserves by volume, West Africa is by far the largest contributor to the continent’s hydrocarbon future. The top eight West African oil and gas mega-discoveries of the past five years to watch include: Senegal’s Yakaar-Teranga, Mauritania’s Orca, Ivory Coast’s Baleine, Ghana’s Afina and Nyankom discoveries, Angola’s Agogo and Ndungu discoveries, and Gabon’s Ivela.
Energy development and its related prospects present a positive economic outlook for the sub-region. It is therefore important to establish a body that serves as a singular energy voice that advances the interests of countries in the sub-region and highlights the available economic and social impact opportunities among the donor and investor communities. The WAPP Chamber seeks to fulfil this mandate.
