By: Fatou Krubally
The Gambia will take centre stage in West Africa’s clean energy agenda next month when it hosts the 10th ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF) on September 18–19, 2025, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Banjul.
The high-level gathering, organised by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines, is expected to draw over 500 stakeholders from across the region under the theme “Accelerating Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Solutions for Growth in the ECOWAS Region.”
Speaking at a press briefing in Bijilo on Friday, Petroleum, Energy and Mines Minister Nani Juwara said the forum will be a platform to showcase The Gambia’s renewable energy potential to prospective investors.
“If we transition to renewables, we can easily take our people out of darkness,” Juwara said. “Energy costs are a disincentive to investment, and reducing them will help attract more opportunities into our country.”
He pointed to significant progress in the country’s energy transition, including the commissioning of a 23-megawatt solar plant in Jambur, the rollout of operational mini-grids, and a recently tendered 50-megawatt solar project in Jara Soma part of a 150-megawatt regional initiative with the West African Power Pool.
The minister also highlighted a push for inclusivity, noting that over 40 young women were trained and employed during the Jambur project to help bridge the gender gap in the energy sector.
Francis Sempore, Executive Director of ECREEE, underscored the urgency of the region’s energy challenges: “In West Africa, half of the people don’t have electricity, and only 30% have access to clean cooking.” He said the forum will launch the ECOWAS Regional Initiative for Clean Cooking in West Africa to improve access for rural communities, especially women.
The two-day meeting will convene ministers, development partners, financiers, private sector leaders, researchers, and civil society actors to explore policies, investments, and innovations that can accelerate the ECOWAS energy transition.
If successful, officials say the forum could help position The Gambia and its neighbours as leaders in sustainable development while tackling one of the region’s most pressing challenges energy access.