Another training session for trainers from West Africa ended today, organized as part of the framework of the CERMI Regional Anchor Strengthening Project in the ECOWAS region. The training was held at the Centre for Renewable Energy and Industrial Maintenance in Cabo Verde, which receives funding and technical assistance from the European Union and Luxembourg Cooperation.

Aimed at all Francophone countries in the region, as well as benefiting representatives from Guinea Bissau and Cabo Verde, this initiative focused on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, and was delivered by a specialized trainer from the region itself.

"This was a capacity-building exercise for ECOWAS cadres on matters related to the Energy Efficiency in Buildings, also, it was an opportunity to exchange experiences and knowledge about what is being done in this field, across all the francophone countries in the sub-region", explained Project Coordinator, Jansénio Delgado, during the closing ceremony.

According to Jansénio, the initiative further yielded important results: “This opportunity also allowed us to reinforce the network of trainers on Renewable Energy in the ECOWAS region, which is a very important instrument for an effective energy transition in our countries. A trainer from the sub-region, Mr. Francis Samporé, was especially brought in for the training. It is worth mentioning since he is very knowledgeable on West Africa and the realities faced by the countries represented here”.

On behalf of the participants, Bagui Diarra, from Burkina Faso, expressed his satisfaction with the quality of the training and the way it was delivered at CERMI, highlighting what was learned and the importance of the training content.

“The training touched on a wide range of subjects related to the Energy Efficiency sub-sector, which today constitutes an indispensable asset for the development of our countries. I especially welcome the initiative to bring together ECOWAS experts to deliver this training, since these are the people who know the true realities of our region and are in a position to adapt existing solutions to each of the different countries”, remarked the participant.

For the Executive Director of CERMI and Member of the Board, “the main objective of the project is to train trainers who will respond to the challenge of energy transition by increasing energy efficiency in buildings in ECOWAS countries”. Luís de Pina is certain that the participants "will know how to make the most of" what they have learned today and what they take from this training at CERMI.

"It is also important that they can replicate what they have learned here and the experiences shared here with everyone. This can be done in different ways, namely by organizing, by one’s own initiative, training at the local level, helping to expand the network of specialists that we want to build up in the field of Renewable Energy in the sub-region”, he continued.

The head of Lux-Dev, the agency that implements the policies of the Luxembourg Development Cooperation, also participated in the closing ceremony of the francophone train-the-trainer event.

“It is a great honour for us to offer our skills and competences with ECOWAS countries, through the financial support of the European Union. This training element, which we manage, is part of a much wider program that focuses on improving governance in the energy sector in West Africa. We hope, therefore, to also make our mark in laying the foundations of this structure that we want to build together”, affirmed François Bary.

The representative of the Luxembourg Cooperation further acknowledged that energy efficiency “constitutes one of the most important challenges for the development of the West African region, namely for Cabo Verde, with its particular archipelagic structure, but also for all ECOWAS countries”. “We must, little by little, break the dependence in relation to fossil fuel, betting heavily on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency”, he said.

Representing the European Union, Ana Sofia Silva, declared that the ECOWAS countries "can always count on the EU's interest and availability to continue working with the countries of the sub-region in this essential area". According to the official, “training in the field of Renewable Energy is, within this framework, very important, and fits into the priorities that the European Union has defined for its cooperation" with the referred countries.

"As you know, the new European Commission, which has just been elected, identified the issue of fighting climate change as one of its main challenges, and in these terms, we welcome and support such activities and initiatives that, like this one, meet this objective", she said. 

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