By Binta Jaiteh
The Gambia’s Ministry Petroleum and Energy in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has launched the National Energy Nexus Platform in a bid to promote and adopt sustainable energy solutions.
The launching ceremony took place at the Metzy Residence Hotel, Kotu on Tuesday.
Representing the Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Momodou B Sarr, said: “the platform is a multi-sectoral group tasked with the responsibility of conducting policy dialogues linking energy with other relevant sectors of the Gambia’s economy.”
“For any country to achieve meaningful development it must be able to provide adequate, reliable and affordable energy service to its people, (a reason) the government of The Gambia has accorded high priority to the energy sector,” he added.
He said that the government of The Gambia strives to provide Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) by 2030, cognizant of the importance of energy projects for other key sectors of the economy.
According to him, “The Gambia National Platform for Energy Nexus is now being established to focus on the interlinkages in order to strengthen the collaboration relating to energy issues among key sectors.”
UNIDO country representative Haddijatou Jallow, described the launching as a milestone for the government of The Gambia saying “in the past decades, efforts were made in terms of policies such as on energy, trade and consumer protection in The Gambia.”
According to her, in order to support the Energy Nexus issues, the National Platform will facilitate the implementation of incentives to promote the uptake and dissemination of the targeted EE solutions at large scale in different sectors, geographical areas and target groups.
She emphasized that after the establishment of the platform, it is expected that at least 20 projects will use the Nexus approach to encompass RE/EE in other sectors and efforts will also be made to use gender mainstreaming during the implementation as 40% of the platform representatives will be women.
“In line with our mandate to promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, we support together with our partners the inevitable energy transition and the associated industrial transformation through promoting policy coherence, technology innovation and integrated energy system,” she concluded.