Abstract

The importance of electricity for the economic development of West African Countries cannot be overemphasized. According to the International Energy Agency, as at 2020 approximately forty-seven per cent of the Sub-Saharan Africa population did not have access to energy, particularly electricity. This paper examines the measures put in place by West African sub-Saharan countries to enhance electricity security before and during the pandemic while promoting energy transition. Comparatively, countries that had liberalised their power markets had high volumes of electricity generated in their countries to meet up the growing demand. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the West African Governments implemented measures to subsidize electricity. Most of the countries through regulatory measures enhanced these subsidies, during the Covid-19 pandemic, to ameliorate the harsh economic impact felt during the lockdown and this had a direct impact in making electricity affordable. Before the COVID-19 pandemic almost all the countries had long-term measures to promote energy transition but during the pandemic a few West African Countries implemented short-term measures to support energy transition in their electricity markets. Although renewables contribute to the generation of power in some West African Countries, oil and gas will still dominate the electricity markets for a while.

This paper will be part of the OGEL Special Issue on "COVID-19 and the Energy Transition". More information here www.ogel.org/news.asp?key=662