Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, 21st March 2019: African Energy Commission (AFREC) has held a Regional Training Workshop on Energy Statistics and Energy Efficiency Data Collection for West and North African Countries on 19th to 21 March 2019 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire as a part of the annual work plan of AFREC to build the capacity of African Member states in energy statistics that shape the policies and inform the decision makers in Africa as well as attracting the required investment.

The workshop was organized in collaboration with Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energy of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, International Energy Agency (IEA) and hosted by African Development Bank (AFDB). The workshop brought together 45 participants from West and North African, West Africa economic community (ECOWAS), West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) and ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (ECREEE).

The three days’ workshop has offered hands-on training on the AFREC methodology and tools for collecting and organizing national-level energy data by different fuels and sectors of the economy. It focused on the use of basic energy data to build complete and accurate energy balances through the use of consistent definitions and units in order to inform national energy policymakers and enable consistent regional and international reporting.

The workshop has also provided training guidance on Energy Efficiency Indicators in Residential Sector to the AFREC's National Focal Points on how to collect, validate and transmit the collected indicators data in a way compatible with international common practices in the Residential Sector as well as identified the most suitable Energy Efficiency Indicators related to the Industry Sector for Africa.

The Executive Director of AFREC, Mr. Rashid Abdallah, stated in his opening speech that “The African Energy data shown the vast resources in all African Regions which can never be developed without good energy data that drive the policies and investment.”

Mr. Wale SHONIBARE, Director of Energy Finance Solutions, Policy & Regulation Department of African Development Bank stated in his opening speech that “ the Bank believes that, availability of reliable and relevant data on the Energy Sector in Africa and its accessibility are critical to de-risking the Sector and stimulating various interventions to unlock the vast energy potential of the continent” , he also added “ The Bank is proud to host this important workshop especially as it comes at a time when the Bank is undertaking key data initiatives in the energy space of Africa and has taken a significant steps towards consolidating and harmonizing energy data on the African Energy Sector. AFREC is a key partner of the Bank in this endeavour”.

Mr. CISSE Sabati, Director General of Energy, representative of H.E Mr Abdourhamane CISSE, the Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energy of the Republic Ivory Coast, thanks AFREC for significant efforts in working in energy data in Africa and highlighted the challenges to obtain the reliable energy data from different resources as well as technical and financial limitation to carry out surveys, processing the collected data and the continuous operation of national energy information system which must overcome with support of AFREC for all African Countries.

AFREC has successfully created the first-ever “Africa Energy Information System (AEIS)” since 2012 through which the “African Energy Statistics Database” has publishedannually since then with the aim to improve the African Decision making process in African institutions and African member states. To achieved this, AFREC has provided continuous capacity building to the National Focal Points to improve the competency of hundreds energy experts and statistician in the Member States which helped to produce reliable energy data and information

For more information contact:

Mr. Abdoulaye Oueddo,

Energy Information System Expert, African Energy Commission (AFREC);

E-mail: Oueddoa@africa-union.org

For further information contact

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dic@africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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