Energy ministers from Niger, Djibouti, Chad, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, along with a representative from Mali’s Ministry of Energy, met on Monday in Ouagadougou to review the progress of the « Desert to Power » initiative.
This working session aimed to evaluate the developments made since the project’s launch in 2019 in Ouagadougou. The « Desert to Power » initiative is built around five key pillars: solar energy production, expansion of electricity grids, operational and financial viability of power utilities, regional grid interconnection, and promotion of private investment in the energy sector.
Financially supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the initiative aspires to generate up to 10 gigawatts of solar energy for the benefit of all participating Sahel countries.
The meeting also highlighted the strategic importance of this project for a region that faces a chronic energy deficit, despite its vast solar potential.
On the sidelines of the session, the ministerial delegation was received by Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo. He praised the shared vision and commitment of the partner states, while calling for improved coordination and increased mobilization to tackle energy challenges, key drivers of socio-economic development in the region.
The delegation members unanimously emphasized that this regional momentum, driven by a shared ambition, represents a crucial step toward energy autonomy and the structural transformation of Sahelian economies.