ECOWAS Bio-energy Forum Opens in Bamako, Mali (Press Release)
23 mars 2012
AFRIbiz - March 22, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali, March 20, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A three-day ECOWAS Bio-energy Forum is underway in the Malian capital, Bamako as part of efforts to support the development of regional and national bio-energy strategies to help Member States meet the energy needs of their people.
The Forum, organized by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), based in Praia, Cape Verde in collaboration with partners, also seeks to create a vibrant and sustainable modern bio-energy sector that promotes economic growth and rural development.
Opening the forum on Monday, 19th March 2012, the Malian Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Resources, Honourable Habib Ouane, told participants that the high population growth rate of Member States posed a great challenge to the region’s energy demand with serious health consequences.
He therefore urged Member States to take adequate steps to address the challenges through appropriate policies within the framework of the ECOWAS White Paper to promote the region’s economic development.
The ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Mr. Ebrima Njie, noted that the region continued to face major challenges in sustainable supply of energy services, despite its significant bio-energy resources.
The region, he said, has one of the lowest access rates of modern energy services, which inhabits the prospects for developing economic activities, enhancing food security and reducing poverty.
Catégorie: Energie