The Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, has said his country is working with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to provide cheap electricity to member states.
Scholz disclosed this while addressing a press conference after a meeting with the ECOWAS Commission’s President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, in Abuja on Sunday.
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The German Chancellor said his country is also cooperating with the ECOWAS in other areas including pandemic prevention, security,and thed prevention of coups in the region, adding that Germany had increased its financial support to the bloc recently.
Speaking earlier, the ECOWAS Commission’s President, Touray, said the organisation had received support from the government of Germany in the sum of a €81 million grant to address vital areas of development, including electricity.
He said this latest grant brings to total €500 million Germany’s support over a decade.
Touray said there is a plan to link electricity power production through West Africa from a centre in Cotonou, in the Republic of Benin.
He said the project would allow West African countries to get electricity from a cheaper source, adding that it would translate to cheaper electricity within the bloc.
“Recently, we have concluded an agreement to the tune of 81 million euros that the government of Germany and the people of Germany have decided to grant to ECOWAS to support us in various areas.
“Those are vital areas, and as I have indicated, they cover areas such as peaceful and inclusive society, climate and energy transition, sustainable economic development, health, societal protection, and population.
“These are important sectors, and we appreciate the support that Germany has given to us in these areas.
“The recent agreement has brought Germany’s support for ECOWAS over the past decade to close to 500 million euros,” he said.
The ECOWAS President said they discussed the challenges that the region is facing, including insecurity, an infrastructure deficit, and social development.