Powering Progress: ECOWAS and Nigeria Team Up for a New Energy Information System
The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the Nigerian Energy Commission, launched the Computerized National Energy Information System (CNES) in Nigeria on November 4, 2024, in Abuja. This launch aligns with the ECOWAS Energy Information System (ECOWAS-EIS) framework.
The ECOWAS Commission, with financial support from the European Union through the “Programme for Improving the Governance of the Energy Sector in West Africa (AGoSE-A0)”, developed a regional energy information system (ECOWAS-EIS). This system was officially launched in March 2023 in Bissau during the 14th meeting of ECOWAS ministers responsible for energy.
The ECOWAS Energy Information System (ECOWAS-IES) provides comprehensive information on the region’s energy situation, including economic and social indicators, data on energy infrastructure, information on policies and regulations, and carbon emissions. It serves as a valuable platform for decision-makers and the public.
Mustapha Abdullahi, the Director General of the Nigerian Energy Commission, emphasized the Commission’s responsibility in coordinating national energy policies and gathering essential data for energy planning. He highlighted that the launch of the National Computerized Energy Information System (CNES) is crucial for the country as it will act as a repository of reliable energy data, enabling researchers and development partners to make informed decisions about energy supply and costs.
Abdullahi further stated that CNES represents a computer infrastructure that will minimize data collection efforts, reduce entry errors, improve the speed of dissemination, and enhance the overall quality of data. This will contribute to effective energy sector management and foster a more robust energy landscape in Nigeria.
The keynote address was delivered by Prince Adeyemi Adediran, the Statistician General of Nigeria, represented by Biyi Fafunmi, the Director of Agriculture and Business Statistics at the National Bureau of Statistics. He thanked the Energy Commission for this initiative, emphasizing that CNES will play a vital role in leveraging statistical information for the development of the energy sector.
Fafunmi outlined several benefits offered by CNES, including strengthening national energy security by providing accurate and real-time data on energy production, consumption, and distribution to ensure a stable energy supply. He also mentioned that CNES will support economic growth by providing industries and investors with reliable energy data, essential for making strategic decisions and fostering economic prosperity.
Sediko Douka, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization of the ECOWAS Commission, commended the collaborative efforts between the Nigerian Energy Commission and the ECOWAS Commission. He discussed the progress made in establishing the ECOWAS Energy Information System (ECOWAS-EIS), supported by the European Union, which facilitated the implementation of a regional program aimed at improving governance in the energy sector throughout West Africa.
Douka highlighted the importance of a credible regional energy information system (EIS) that is regularly updated, achievable only with the availability of EIS databases and platforms in Member States. This led to ECOWAS contributing to the establishment of a computer architecture for the collection and processing of energy statistics in Nigeria, following completion in Togo. He explained that this dynamic system includes a comprehensive energy database with indicators matching international standards, allowing stakeholders to access essential data, including electricity consumption and CO2 emissions.
Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, emphasized the Energy Commission’s commitment to improving energy data collection methods by implementing systems that meet the quality and coverage requirements of the country’s data. He noted that these new systems will facilitate better energy programming and strengthen the government’s planning and policy-making efforts.
The Minister also highlighted the critical need for reliable energy data: “Nigeria needs accurate, reliable, and timely energy data to inform and monitor the process of energy transition.” While acknowledging the current efforts of the Energy Commission to produce basic data for strategic planning, he stated that “the current need for energy transformation requires a more holistic approach that will revolutionize the process so that design projects, strategies, and policies are guided by reliable and high-quality data.”
This computerized system developed by ECOWAS and available to Member States features a detailed energy database and relevant indicators calculated in accordance with international standards. ECOWAS remains committed to its actions to improve and harmonize information, communication, and access to reliable data and indicators within the ECOWAS region.