AfDB’s new initiative ‘Desert to Power’ gets strong support from G5 Sahel Presidents


Devdiscourse News Desk | Ouagadougou | Updated: 16-09-2019 19:28 IST | Created: 16-09-2019 19:28 IST
AfDB’s new initiative ‘Desert to Power’ gets strong support from G5 Sahel Presidents
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, participated in the high-level meeting and endorsed the initiative. Image Credit: AfDB
  • Country:
  • Burkina Faso

In our previous post, we revealed that the African Development Bank’s President, Akinwumi Adesina had set down a new agenda for the bank group in September 2015. He outlined the five development priorities for the institution which were called in short 'High 5s'. The ‘High 5s’ are – Light up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.

Launched on September 13 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, ‘Desert to Power’ initiative is expected to mark a major milestone. The African Development Bank has committed USD 20 million towards project preparation for the realization of the project.

On the initiative, the African Development Bank (AfDB) chief Akinwumi Adesina, was said to be able to count on the strong support of African heads of state, that recently took place of the G5 Sahel meeting in the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougou.

G5 Sahel heads of state at the recent summit in Ouagadougou gave strong support to the Africa Development Bank-led initiative titled ‘Desert to Power’. The summit titled “Harnessing solar energy for the socio-economic development of the G5 Sahel countries” came on the heels of a high-level technical meeting attended by the region’s energy ministers, and development partners including the World Bank, Agence Française de Développement, Masen (Moroccan Solar Energy Agency), and regional institutions such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union and ECOWAS.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, participated in the high-level meeting and endorsed the initiative. The G5 Sahel President Christian Kabore of Burkina Faso urged the private sector to support the ‘Desert to Power’ and underscored the strategic and critical role of power provision in the Sahel region.

“The African Development Bank is our bank and the private sector must be involved in this important initiative for our countries. I have no doubt that with technical leadership of the AfDB, we will be able to mobilize the necessary funds. Access to electricity is key for the economic development, prosperity and security of the G5 Sahel countries,” Christian Kabore said at a joint press conference hosted with the President of the AfDB Group, Akinwumi Adesina, after the summit.

The Desert to Power initiative covers 11 nations – Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, Senegal and Chad and is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement and the Renewable Energy Initiative for Africa.

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