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PH: DR: ECOWAS and Nigeria Energy Commission launch 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, Nigeria the ECOWAS Energy Information System framework (ECOWAS-EIS).
The ECOWAS Commission, with financial support from the European Union through the “Program for Energy Sector Management Development in West Africa (AGoSE-A0)”, has developed a regional energy information system (ECOWAS-EIS); this system was officially launched in March 2023 in Bissau, at the 14th meeting of ECOWAS ministers in charge of energy.
The ECOWAS Energy Information System (ECOWAS-IES) provides, among others, information on the region’s energy situation, economic and social indicators, data on energy infrastructure, information on policies and regulations, and carbon emissions. It is therefore a comprehensive information platform, on which decision-makers and the public can consult.
Mustapha Abdullahi, the Director-General of the Nigerian Energy Commission, highlighted the Commission’s responsibility in coordinating national energy policies and gathering essential data for energy planning.
He said the launch of the National Computerized Energy Information System (CNES) is a vital development for the country, as it will “be a source of reliable energy data, enabling researchers and development partners to -make informed decisions about energy supply and costs.
- Abdullahi emphasized that CNES represents “a computerized infrastructure that makes it possible to decommission data collection, reduce entry errors, improve the speed of transmission and the overall quality of data”, which will contribute to the effective management of the energy sector and which triggers a discharge system. a stronger energy landscape in Nigeria.
The keynote address was delivered by Nigeria’s Chief Statistician, Prince Adeyemi Adediran, represented by Biyi Fafunmi, Director of Agriculture and Business Statistics at the National Bureau of Statistics. He thanked the Energy Commission for this initiative, stressing that CNES will play a vital role in using statistical information for the development of the energy sector.
- Fafunmi outlined several benefits provided by CNES, including strengthening national energy security by providing accurate and real-time data on energy production, consumption and distribution to ensure sustainable energy supply. He also said that CNES will support economic growth by providing businesses and investors with reliable energy data, which is essential for making strategic decisions and improving economic prosperity.
- In his remarks, Sediko Douka, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digital of the ECOWAS Commission, praised 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), with the support of the European Union, which facilitated the implementation of a regional program aimed at governance in the energy sector across Africa to develop the West.
- Douka highlighted the importance of a reliable and regularly updated regional energy information system (EIS), which can only be achieved when EIS databases and platforms are available in the Member States. That is why, after the development and launch of the ECOWAS EIS, ECOWAS contributed to the establishment of a computer architecture for the collection and processing of energy statistics in Nigeria, after it was completed in Togo. He said that this dynamic system features a complete energy database with indicators according to international standards, allowing stakeholders to access essential data, including electricity consumption and CO2 emissions.
In his opening remarks, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, highlighted the Energy Commission’s commitment to improving energy data collection methods: “The Energy Commission is aware of the need for energy data to development. collection methods by implementing systems that meet the quality and coverage of the country’s data.” He noted that the new systems will facilitate better energy programming and strengthen the government’s planning and policy making efforts.
The Minister also highlighted the dire need for reliable energy data: “Nigeria needs accurate, reliable and timely energy data to guide and monitor the energy transition process. » He acknowledged the Energy Commission’s current efforts to produce baseline data for strategic planning, but said “the need for currently moving energy on a more comprehensive approach that will transform the process so that planning projects, strategies and policies are driven by reliable, high. – quality data. “
This computerized system developed by ECOWAS has a detailed energy database and relevant indicators calculated according to international standards and is available to Member States. ECOWAS is committed to continuing its activities to improve and harmonize information, communication and access to reliable data and indicators in the ECOWAS region. (Source: ECOWAS)
