The Head of the Senegalese Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Guy Marius Sagna, has called for an urgent energy revolution across West Africa, insisting that affordable and sustainable electricity remains the key to tackling poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and poor healthcare delivery in the sub-region.
Speaking at the opening of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Delocalized Joint Committee Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, on Monday, Sagna urged West African leaders to embrace what he described as a “sovereign revolution” in energy development to unlock the region’s vast economic potential and improve the lives of millions of citizens.
Addressing parliamentarians, government officials, energy experts and development partners, Sagna stressed that the theme of the meeting, “Harnessing Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification and the Boosting of Rural Economies in the ECOWAS Region: The Role of the ECOWAS Parliament,” was timely and critical to the future of the region.
He thanked the President of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, for choosing Dakar as host city and commended Senegalese authorities for supporting the successful organisation of the meeting.
The lawmaker described renewable energy as the foundation of energy sovereignty, arguing that a successful energy transition would create jobs, reduce poverty and guarantee sustainable development, particularly in rural communities.
According to him, access to electricity in rural West Africa remains alarmingly low, with only about 12 per cent of rural households connected to power despite the region’s enormous renewable energy resources.
Sagna noted that West Africa possesses solar energy potential of between 5 and 6 kilowatt-hours per square metre daily and hydroelectric potential of more than 25,000 megawatts, yet millions of people remain without electricity.
“Without sufficient and affordable electricity, it is impossible to solve the problem of unemployment,” he declared.
Quoting renowned Senegalese scholar Cheikh Anta Diop, Sagna said: “In the beginning was energy. Everything else flows from it.”
He also cited Burkinabe historian Joseph Ki-Zerbo’s famous saying, “He who sleeps on another’s mat sleeps on the ground,” to underscore the need for Africa to take control of its development agenda and maximise its natural resources.
The parliamentarian lamented that although Africa possesses about 60 per cent of the world’s best solar resources, more than 600 million people on the continent still lack access to electricity, including between 220 million and 230 million people in West Africa.
He described the situation as unacceptable and called for accelerated investment in renewable energy projects, rural electrification programmes and energy infrastructure across the region.
Sagna warned against excessive dependence on a single energy source, urging ECOWAS member states to diversify their energy mix and strengthen regional cooperation in the sector.
He also condemned corruption and the diversion of public funds meant for infrastructure development, saying such practices continue to deprive citizens of access to basic services.
“We need strong political will for a sovereign revolution and against the misappropriation of public funds so that the resources of West African citizens are invested in meeting the needs of the people, including electrification,” he stated.
The Senegalese lawmaker expressed optimism that discussions during the five-day meeting would produce practical recommendations capable of advancing the goals of ECOWAS Vision 2050 and accelerating regional integration through sustainable energy development.
The meeting has brought together members of the ECOWAS Parliament, government officials, development partners, energy experts and private-sector stakeholders to explore strategies for expanding renewable energy access and driving rural electrification across West Africa.
