Energy experts from across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have convened in Accra, Ghana, to review key regulatory instruments aimed at strengthening the regional electricity market, promoting energy storage technologies and improving the market’s financial sustainability.
The two-day meeting, which began on October 20 and is scheduled to end on October 21, 2026, brings together representatives of energy ministries from ECOWAS member states, the ECOWAS Commission and its institutions, as well as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
The experts are expected to examine proposed regulatory measures and develop recommendations for consideration by regional Energy Ministers at their meeting scheduled for October 22 in Accra.
The deliberations form part of ongoing regional efforts to establish a more efficient, financially sustainable and reliable electricity market capable of supporting economic growth and expanding access to affordable energy across West Africa.
Among the major instruments under consideration is a draft directive on the deployment of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and other energy storage technologies, proposed by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE).
The proposed directive is expected to advance discussions on the deployment of energy storage solutions within the regional electricity system, an important component of efforts to improve electricity reliability and support the integration of renewable energy sources.
The experts are also reviewing a draft regulation submitted by the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) to amend Regulation C/REG.14/12/23 on the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Market Levy.
The review is intended to address regulatory considerations relating to the levy that supports the regional electricity market.
In addition to the two principal regulatory instruments, participants will examine five memoranda submitted for the information of Energy Ministers.
The outcome of the meeting will provide a technical basis for ministerial deliberations and decisions on the proposed measures.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization, the Commission’s Director of Energy and Mines, Mr Arkadius Koumoin, emphasised the importance of the meeting to the region’s energy development agenda.
Koumoin said the recommendations emerging from the experts’ deliberations would provide a solid foundation for advancing energy storage technologies and strengthening the financial sustainability of the regional electricity market.
He expressed optimism that the proposed measures would contribute to improving access to reliable and affordable electricity for people across West Africa.
Declaring the meeting open, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Richard Gyan Mensah, expressed confidence that the discussions would produce practical recommendations to strengthen the region’s energy agenda.
He said the deliberations would help advance regional efforts towards achieving universal and sustainable energy access.
The meeting highlights ECOWAS’s continuing efforts to strengthen cooperation among member states in the electricity sector through coordinated policies, improved regulatory frameworks and sustainable financing mechanisms.
With the Energy Ministers expected to consider the experts’ recommendations on October 22, the discussions in Accra represent an important step towards determining the next phase of regulatory development for the regional electricity market.
The ultimate objective is to build a stronger and more sustainable regional electricity market that can improve power reliability, support economic development and expand access to affordable energy across West Africa.
