Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Concludes Regional Workshop in LOMÉ on Energy Efficiency Indicators and Data Validation
The ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorates of Energy and Mines, the Directorate of Research and Statistics, the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the African Energy Commission (AFREC) concluded the ECOWAS Regional Workshop on Energy Efficiency Indicators at Hotel Sarakawa in Lomé. Held from 5 to 9 October 2026, the workshop brought together representatives from the energy and statistics sectors of ECOWAS Member States, regional institutions and partners to strengthen the collection, validation and management of reliable energy efficiency data.
In her welcome address at the opening ceremony, H.E. Madam Dewey Emily Gray, Resident Representative of the ECOWAS Commission in Togo, highlighted energy as a foundation for regional development and stressed that progress on energy efficiency depended on the ability to measure results consistently across Member States. She emphasized the importance of harmonized national data systems and stronger cooperation between energy institutions and national statistical offices, noting that validated data should strengthen national energy information systems as well as the ECOWAS Energy Information System (EIS) and ECOWREX.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Director of AFREC, Mr. Abdoulaye Oueddo emphasized that reliable, coherent, comparable and timely energy data were essential for effective planning, sound public policies, investment mobilization and monitoring regional and continental objectives. He noted that the workshop needed to go beyond data collection by improving data quality, identifying gaps, strengthening national expertise and promoting AFREC’s harmonized methodologies and tools, while building a sustainable regional community of energy-efficiency experts.
Officially opening the workshop, H.E. Mr. Robert Koffi Messan EKLO, Minister Delegate in charge of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Togolese Republic, underscored the economic and social value of energy efficiency and the importance of reliable data for measuring policy results and guiding investment. He called on participants to rigorously validate the 2023–2024 data, agree on approaches for addressing remaining data gaps and establish realistic action plans. He reaffirmed Togo’s support for a reliable, harmonized and sustainable regional energy data system.
Over five days, delegations reviewed energy efficiency indicators for 2023 and 2024, country by country, using data collected in advance through a harmonized questionnaire. Discussions focused on validating available information, identifying data gaps, formulating recommendations and developing national roadmaps to improve regular data collection, validation and resource mobilization.
The workshop built on the first edition of the ECOWAS Regional Energy Efficiency Report, covering the period 2018–2022. The data reviewed during the workshop will support preparation of the second edition of the regional report and strengthen national energy information systems. Following the necessary validation and quality-assurance processes, the data will also contribute to the ECOWAS Energy Information System (ECOWAS-EIS), the ECOWREX platform and AFREC’s continental energy statistics.
A key outcome of the workshop was the technical validation of the Regional Data Collection Strategy for Energy Efficiency, Biomass and Clean Cooking.
Beyond the technical review of indicators, the workshop strengthened dialogue between national energy administrations and statistical institutions and provided an opportunity to consolidate a regional network of experts supporting the regular, consistent and sustainable production of energy efficiency indicators.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
