By Princess-Ekwi Ajide, Abuja
In its efforts to ensure adequate coverage of activities around the Regional Off Grid Electrification Access Project, ROGEAP, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has established a regional network of journalists and media experts to increase visibility.
The aim of the workshop was to create awareness about ROGEAP objectives among media focal points, and to conclude on a strategy for media intervention across the 19 countries concerned.
Journalists and media experts, from 15 of the 19 Member States where the project is to be implemented, attended the two days workshop in Cotonou, Benin which was primarily to, among other things, deepen their understanding of the ROGEAP project and the off-grid power sector in West Africa and the Sahel..
The workshop was also an opportunity to relaunch activities of the network of ECOWAS/ROGEAP journalists with the setup of a five-member bureau including the preparation of a regional intervention strategy for monitoring news articles on and coverage of ROGEAP and awareness creation activities in the 19 countries termed ROGEAP media focal points in each of the Member States.
Speaking, the chairman on the occasion, Deputy Director of Cabinet, Mr Franck Tigri, who represented the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Benin asked the participants to act upon all they gained from the workshop as there is need to be dedicated and selfless in the effort for a better Africa.
Also speaking the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, Mr Sediko Douka, listed the obstacles facing the development of the off-grid sector in West and Central Africa, to include a fractured market, inadequate regulatory environment and policies; a solar industry that lacked supporting ecosystems; limited access to funding; and lack of clear information regarding customer base and demand.
He, however, noted that the solution to the obstacles, is to ensure creation of awareness and broadcast of quality information on ROGEAP activities would feature prominently in the media.
He reminded the journalists that their contributions will help effectively to raise the awareness of the region’s inhabitants on the option of off-grid solar technologies which ultimately grants access to cheap and autonomous energy supply that is vital to the attainment of the sustainable development goals within the ECOWAS and Sahel region.
Speaking earlier, the chairman of Network of ECOWAS/ROGEAP Journalists, Abdoulie Gassama, recalled the history of the network and thanked ECOWAS and ROGEAP’s main donors for the willingness to involve journalists in the execution of ROGEAP activities and acknowledgement of the very important role of the media in the fight against poverty in Africa.
The workshop for journalists took place concurrently with Cotonou’s hosting of the launch of ROGEAP activities to create awareness of (Off-Grid) solar PV technologies among lawmakers and other targets and establish an enabling framework for developing the off-grid PV systems market.