'Desert to Power' program’s future plan revealed at Africa Investment Forum 2019

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.

The 'Desert to Power' program, initiated by the African Development Bank to provide electricity to 250 million people in the Sahel region, was the subject of a special session Tuesday at the Africa Investment Forum 2019, held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Panel session on Investing in the Sun: The Desert to Power Initiative was moderated by Wale Shonibare, Vice President of the African Development Bank in charge of energy. At his side were several sector experts: Paloma Perez de Vega, Head of the Project Project Finance Division at the Finance Division of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Gareth Walsh, Head of the Governance Team of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Ignacio Pérez-Arriaga, director of energy training at the Florence Regulatory School, Ismael Nacoulma Somlawendé, director of the Burkinabe Rural Electrification Agency and Angela Nalikka, head of division in the Electrical System Development Department of the Bank.

"The largest solar zone in the world is in the Sahel. We want to catalyze the investments to realize this program, of which the African Development Bank is the leader. And we will realize this program, "launched in introduction Wale Shonibare. According to him, it is necessary to raise resources to succeed this program, which represents an opportunity of 10,000 megawatts of electricity production, from Chad to Burkina Faso, via Sudan through Djibouti, Senegal, Nigeria, Mali, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Niger and Eritrea.

For Ignacio Pérez-Arriaga, director of energy training at the Regulatory School in Florence, it is "an excellent program, which one needs", but it remains "a difficult program: it will require significant investments for the implementation of regulations and the transport of the energy produced. If we want it to work, we need to determine how to allocate costs, set up a planning authority, deal with contracts and security of supply. It is possible but it is a real challenge."

"There is $ 140 million to be raised to prepare the program. We will set up a work team to identify priorities. Its secretariat will be based in Abidjan. We are working with partners able to carry out the program, "reassured Wale Shonibare, revealing in passing the name of the chairman of the working group: Mustapha Bakkoury, CEO of Masen Morocco.

The Africa Investment Forum (AIF) brings together project promoters and investors, borrowers, lenders, policymakers and public and private sector investors to encourage investment in Africa.