The sixth meeting of the Steering Committee for the Regional Project on Access to Electricity and Battery Energy Storage Technology (BEST), a key governance mechanism for the project, was held on 29th and 30th, June 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria to review progress made in implementing the project, assess the main challenges, endorse strategic directions and strengthen coordination between the Project Implementation Units (PIUs) to ensure more effective implementation.
Chaired by the Acting Director of the ECOWAS Directorate of Energy and Mines, Mr William BAIDOE, the meeting brought together representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, members of the Steering Committee and delegates from the PIUs of the five beneficiary countries (Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal), as well as members of the project’s Regional Coordination Unit (RCU).
In opening the meeting, the Acting Director of Energy and Mines at ECOWAS emphasised the importance of the energy sector as a key driver of economic and social development in West Africa. He noted that “despite the progress made in recent years, a significant proportion of the West African population continues to face insufficient access to reliable electricity. It is to address this challenge that the World Bank and the ECOWAS Commission have launched a regional programme for access to electricity, implemented through a series of projects.”
Launched in 2021, the BEST Project is the second project under this regional electricity access programme, and it builds on the achievements of previous regional interventions. It also represents a strategic response aimed at sustainably improving access to electricity in five beneficiary countries—whilst introducing battery energy storage technologies, which are essential for stabilising electricity grids, facilitating the integration of renewable energy and improving the quality of electricity supply.
Funded by the World Bank to the tune of 465 million US dollars, the BEST Project aims to improve people’s access to electricity and to contribute to the stability and improvement of energy flows within the EEEOA transmission system. The main components of the project include: (i) the design, supply and installation of electricity distribution infrastructure; (ii) the design, supply and installation of BEST equipment; (iii) works supervision and technical assistance; and (iv) project coordination and technical support.
The BEST Project demonstrates the shared commitment of the ECOWAS Commission, the World Bank and the beneficiary countries to accelerating regional energy integration, strengthening the resilience of West African electricity systems and supporting a sustainable energy transition for the benefit of the population.
The project is coordinated at regional level by the ECOWAS Directorate of Energy and Mines through a Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) based in Abuja, in close collaboration with the Project Implementation Units (PIUs) in each of the beneficiary countries.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
