The African Energy Commission (AFREC) hosted a virtual ministerial high level meeting with the Ministers of Energy from the African Union Member States, to present the status of the African Energy Information System (AEIS), planned activities and challenges facing governments in relation to data collection, validation and processing at national and continental level.

The meeting, which took place on 17^th March 2022 in Agiers, also sought political guidance from the Ministers and their governments on how to support and to ensure National Energy Information System (NEIS) effectively functions to process national data, with the view to resolve energy data demand and disparity across the continent. The African Energy Information System (AEIS) is a continental energy database which was developed in 2012 as part of the member states energy data demand.

In her key note address, H.E. Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission said, ‘‘we have been striving to harmonise our energy data on the continent as well as ensure that we have a hosting environment for Africa’s energy data. These efforts have been reinforced and improved through the existing African Energy Information System (AEIS), which was revamped in 2020. The revamp eliminates a lack of credible and quality energy data which is currently a big challenge on our continent’’.

‘‘To continue enhancing data capacity through data collection and validation at national level, AFREC has trained about 400 National Focal points (NFPs), qualified 40 selected NFPs to be trainers of others, and continue to provide advisory support to all AU Member States who submits energy data’’ She  underscored.

Currently, AFREC is also supporting eleven (11) AU Member States namely: Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Congo, Gabon, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Namibia, to establish or improve national energy information system and provide capacity building.

In his presentation, Mr Rashid Ali Abdallah, AFREC Executive Director underlined that though Member States face a lot of challenges in relation to data collection and processing at national level. Hence, constructive collaboration between stakeholders, specially private and public institutions and progressive national data policies can be some of the key actions which can be taken to improve the latter. Mr Abdallah also appealed to all member states to adopt the AEIS at national level, nominate more energy national focal points and continuously encourage national focal points to collect energy data. In addition, AFREC will also works towards expanding the project to establish National Determinant Contribution Support centre to other member states, to strengthen climate change reporting and data modelling as its being done in Morocco, Uganda and Malawi.

Mr. Callixte Kabanda, Head of Energy Division at the African Development Bank, who spoke on behalf of the Bank’s vice-President of Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, reiterated the importance of the AEIS, as it serves as a foundation for knowledge of the African energy sector, and a key source for reliable, credible and up to date data for the continent, to which member states, policy makers, researchers amongst others can refer to.  

In attendance were Ministers from Algeria, Central Africa Republic, Senegal, Burundi, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire, Eswatini and Kenya who also emphasized that Member States need to improve and modernize their NEIS in support of the continental AEIS. They also appealed to AFREC to help mobilize resources for member states to improve and capacitate their NEIS.

ENDS

Note to the Editor

About the African Energy Information System (AEIS)

The AEIS is continental energy database managed and hosted by the African Energy Commission. The system allows collection, processing and validation of energy statistics and indicators for all energy fuel from all 55 African Union member states. In 2020 with support from the African development Bank (AfDB), the AEIS was revamped, to guide the African energy sector transformation, investment and decision making.

About the African Energy Commission

The African Energy Commission (AFREC) is a specialised energy agency of the African Union, mandated to implement African energy programmes by coordinating, harmonising, protect, conserve, develop, promote rational exploitation, commercialization and integration of energy resources for all AU Member states. AFREC functions ensures that its work responds to the future development and transformation of the African energy sector, by mapping out energy development, encouraging research, providing technical and capacity building, mobilise resources and establish necessary mechanisms related to exploitation and utilisation. 

AFREC is also entrusted with the responsibility to design, create and set up the continental energy database, and facilitate rapid dissemination of information among AU member states, Regional Economic communities in Africa, investors amongst others.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Ndahafa Nakwafila| Communication and Information Specialist| African Energy Commission (AFREC) | African Union| email: NakwafilaN@africa-union.org| Tel: +213 23 45 9198 | email: afrec@africaunion.org| Website: www.au-afrec.org |Algiers|Algeria Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africanunion.org  I Website: www.au.int  I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia