This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
On September 19, 2019, Presidents of the G5 Sahel states gathered in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to show their support for the African Development Bank's Desert to Power Initiative.
The initiative, launched to address limited energy access and over-reliance on fossil fuels, aims to accelerate economic development and ensure stability in the G5 Sahel region.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other development partners, including the World Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the West African Economic and Monetary Union, have also endorsed the initiative.
The Desert to Power Initiative aims to provide 10,000 MW of solar-generated electricity to 250 million people across the Sahel region.
Preparation for the initiative will require close to $140 million from donors and partners.
The initiative covers 11 countries: Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, Senegal, and Chad, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Renewable Energy Initiative for Africa.
