Sahel states Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have launched a coordinated effort to strengthen energy security and boost renewable energy development across the region.
Meeting in Bamako under the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), energy sector regulators held their first-ever gathering, chaired by Malian Prime Minister General Abdoulaye Maïga. The talks focused on harmonizing energy policies to cut costs, improve market efficiency, and ensure wider integration of renewable energy, reflecting a shared vision for energy access across the region.
Despite abundant renewable resources—such as Mali’s 3,978.7 GW solar potential and Burkina Faso’s strong solar irradiation—electricity access remains low, particularly in rural areas. Challenges like outdated infrastructure, high technical losses, and dependence on imported fossil fuels persist.
The AES aims to address these through policy alignment, investment-friendly regulation, and decentralized energy initiatives.
Programs like the African Development Bank’s Desert to Power initiative, which envisions a 10,000 MW solar zone across the Sahel, underscore the bloc’s ambition for energy sovereignty and universal electricity access.
