CIGRE West Africa Secures €88,700 Grant To Train Young Women In Solar, Mini-Grid
By Sunday Etuka
The CIGRE West Africa National Committee has recorded a series of achievements since January, including a €88,700 grant to train young women in solar energy and mini-grid technologies, as the region moves towards the second phase of its electricity market.
The Chairman, Engr. Sule Abdulaziz, disclosed this at the 7th Session of the General Assembly held in Conakry on 7th November 2026.
He said the progress was recorded since the last General Assembly in Lomé on 24th January 2026.
The grant, from the CIGRE Fund for Innovation and Education, will support a joint project by the Committee, VRA Academy and NAPTIN.
Engr. Abdulaziz described the initiative as a strategic investment in human capital development and the future of the regional power sector.
The Committee also hosted CIGRE Training Sessions and Study Committee meetings in Dakar in March 2026.
He credited the achievements to the collective commitment and active contributions of members towards building a stronger, more integrated and technically advanced regional power system.
According to him, the gains are particularly significant as West Africa advances towards the second phase of the Regional Electricity Market, which seeks to create an organised and competitive market by integrating national power systems into a unified regional grid operating at a common frequency.
He, however, observed that the regional power system remains weakly interconnected, with limited reserve capacity.
He stressed that capacity building must be seen not merely as a technical requirement but as a strategic investment in system security, improved utility performance and the overall success of the market.
On the sustainability of the Committee’s activities, the Chairman recalled the Lomé resolutions on a pooled funding mechanism and a minimum annual operating budget of €213,940.
He urged members to take the necessary steps to implement them to ensure sustainable financing and continuity of the Committee’s programmes.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Secretary General of the Committee, Mr. Abdoulaye DIA, described CIGRE, established in 1921, as the world’s leading global platform for knowledge exchange and technical collaboration in power systems.
He noted that the organisation has National Committees in over 90 countries and more than 15,000 members worldwide.
He explained that the West Africa National Committee, officially recognised by CIGRE International in August 2020, gives member utilities and industry professionals access to CIGRE’s knowledge network, technical publications and the work of its 16 Study Committees.
He urged delegates to participate actively in the deliberations, stressing the need to strengthen the Committee as a platform for professional development, technical knowledge sharing and the advancement of regional expertise.
The Committee was established in 2019 by electricity companies affiliated with the West African Power Pool (WAPP). Its mandate is to promote knowledge sharing, strengthen technical capacity and showcase West African expertise in power systems.
Recognition as a regional National Committee also gives members representation and voting rights within CIGRE, the opportunity to nominate experts to technical committees, access to technical documents and publications, and the chance to participate in calls for papers and access funding.
The General Assembly brought together power sector experts from across the region and beyond to exchange knowledge, share experiences and strengthen professional networks.
