09 March 2023, Cape Town, South Africa: AFREC conducted a two-day workshop to review and discuss a finding report emanating from countries assessment which was conducted on the status to establish or improve countries National Energy Information System.
Hosted in collaboration with the Africa EU-Energy Partnership (AEEP), the meeting brought together senior government officials and statisticians from ten (10) countries who are benefiting from the programme. The countries are namely: Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Senior Representative from some of the countries who are also potentially targeted to benefit from the second phase of the programme i.e. Ethiopia, Mali, Chad, Niger, Sudan, South Africa ad Central Africa were also in attendance.
AFREC presented the diagnostic report and action plan for each participating country, discussed challenges faced by the member states as well as identified countries respective needs which can facilitate the successful implementation of the recommendation as articulated in the report.
In his opening statement, Mr. Rashid Ali Abdallah, Executive Director of AFREC thanked participants for their dedication to the programme, emphasising its importance and ability to strengthen AU member states NEIS. “The implementation of the recommendations of the diagnostic report will lead to a more effective and efficient management of energy resources, improve monitoring and reporting of progress towards achieving sustainable energy development. It will also assist member states, the region and continent at large to have an integrated and comprehensive energy data system which can facilitate evidence-based decision-making, planning, policy formulation, and investment in the Energy Sector", said Abdallah,
Mr. Johan van den Berg, Head of Secretariat of Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) presented various programmes which the European Union (EU) is leading in close collaboration with the African Union. He further commended AFREC’s efforts to improve the African Energy Sector as well as the successful partnership between the two institutions and in particular, the wok on capacity building programme on energy statistics.
‘‘I would like to congratulate AFREC on the work to develop and enhance countries energy information systems, which are key to the Continental Power System's Masterplan and other continental initiatives. AUDA-DEPAD supports the initiative, as it is in line with the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and the development of the Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP)’’, said Towela Nyirenda-Jere PhD, Head, Economic Integration Division at AUDA-NEPAD,
The diagnostic reports and actions plan for the 10 member states will be an important execution tool to seek investments, political support respective countries, to guide the implementation of the recommendations and create or improve countries’ contributions to the NEIS which ultimately will contribute to better energy planning on the continent. Moreover,
the programme implementation will also include the improvement of data collection, validation, harmonization and streamlining energy statistics at country level, as well as reinforcing the adoption of AFREC’s methodology on energy statistics and questionnaires.
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For more information, please contact:
- Ms. Ndahafa Nakwafila| Communication and Information Specialist| African Energy Commission (AFREC) | African Union| email: NakwafilaN@africa-union.org| Tel: +213 23 45 9198 | email: afrec@africaunion.org| Website: www.au-afrec.org |Algiers|Algeria Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter
- Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africanunion.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
AFREC conducted a two-day workshop to review and discuss a finding report emanating from countries assessment which was conducted on the status to establish or improve countries National Energy Information System.