By Musa Kamara, Communications Officer – PI-CREF
Thursday, 18th September, 2025 – Hon. Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF) and the Energy Governance and Coordination Group (EGCG), took centre stage at the 10th edition of the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF 2025) held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Banjul, The Gambia.
Delivering the keynote address on “Accelerating the Clean Cooking Transition in West Africa,” Dr. Yumkella emphasized that achieving universal access to modern and clean cooking solutions is essential for realizing SDG-7 and other interconnected goals, including health and well-being, gender equality, climate action, and poverty reduction.
He underscored the urgent need for a multi-fuel strategy and stronger collaboration among governments, the private sector, and development partners to expand access to cleaner cooking technologies. Dr. Yumkella called for urgent action on strengthening the enabling environment for the clean cooking sector in West Africa, increasing the supply of clean cooking solutions by improving access to finance and boosting demand for cleaner solutions through awareness, incentives, and subsidies.
Calling for a unified regional effort, he stated that ECOWAS countries define a common vision on clean cooking as part of energy planning, develop clear standards, and scale up the deployment of clean technologies. He further encouraged the adoption of carbon finance mechanisms, the establishment of effective National Clean Cooking Alliances, and the introduction of duty waivers to improve market access
“While our kitchens are the testing grounds of cook stoves, they also pose silent threats to women’s health and the environment. It is time to bridge the energy gap by scaling clean cooking interventions and driving a just, fairer, and more equitable energy transition,” Dr. Yumkella told the packed hall of delegates.
Chairman Yumkella informed the high-level gathering that, the government of President Julius Maada Bio has made food security, energy transition, and climate resilience a cornerstone of Sierra Leone’s development agenda. Leveraging on President Bio’s role as Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Chairman Yumkella will capitalize on President Bio’s regional leadership to mobilize support for the formulation and implementation of the ECOWAS Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Master Plan 2026-2036 to ensure energy access for ALL in the region by 2030.
On the sidelines of the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum, Chairman Yumkella had an engaging moment with His Excellency, the Vice President of The Gambia, Muhammad B. S. Jallow. Dr. Yumkella reflected on the moment he had the first discussion, over 15 years ago, as Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) together with Mohammed Ibn Chambas, as President of ECOWAS, and the then Foreign Minister of Austria, Ursula Plassnik, to establish a West Africa Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREE). With support from Austria, Spain, and other EU countries, UNIDO and the ECOWAS Commission created ECREEE during his tenure as DG of UNIDO.
He called for Sierra Leone’s faster transition to a more cheaper, sustainable and reliable energy supply and for EDSA to reduce its losses as other ECOWAS nations have accomplished.
“With H.E. Bio’s leadership and the potential support from development partners under the new Mission 300 (M300) Energy Compact, we are on the path of this transformative transition. By the end of 2026, we will have added about 180 MW of power supply, with over 60 MW in the short term by March 2026. With MCC investments, our transmission and distribution backbone will be rebuilt to enhance grid stability and enable more households to be connected to reliable power supply,” Dr. Yumkella noted.
Launched in 2016 by ECREEE, ESEF has become West Africa’s premier platform for shaping policies and forging partnerships in sustainable energy. This year’s forum, running from September 18–19, 2025, convenes high-level government officials, policymakers, financial institutions, private sector leaders, researchers, and civil society to drive solutions for bridging energy gaps, scaling clean cooking, and building a resilient energy future for the region.
