Pan African Parliament concludes workshop on Renewable Energy in Africa

Rt. Hon. Roger Nkodo DANG

The Pan African Parliament’s Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy and technology, the Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment and the Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters jointly organized a workshop on Renewable Energy in Africa in recognition of the vital role played by energy in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its ability to stimulate economic growth, generate employment, increase educational opportunities and improve the general health and well being.

This was disclosed by the President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) Rt. Hon. Roger Nkodo DANG during the presentation of the Activity Report of the Parliament from May to September 2019 to the Plenary on Tuesday.

Hon. Dang disclosed that the workshop resulted in “building consensus among PAP members on the need for African countries to abolish import duties on renewable energy components and accessories and develop local capaciry to dispose of and/ or recycle energy waste and treat universal access to power as a fundamental human right, and invest in local human resources development instead of relying on foreign companies”.

The workshop stressed the need to “identify and appropriate renewable energy sources and incentivize investment in energy, regardless of who is involved, local or foreign companies” as well as create “an enabling environment for the private sector participation in this sector” and then urged the parliamentarians to effectively exercise their oversight over the executives of their various countries.