Ministers praised the significant progress of the Initiative, including the implementation of more than fifteen projects, several of which are already operational.
On June 30, 2025, in Ouagadougou, representatives from six member countries of the Desert to Power Initiative approved key strategic documents to boost independent power production in the Sahel during the 5th ministerial meeting of the initiative led by the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org).
The meeting was chaired by Yacouba Zabré Gouba, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, and attended by energy ministers from Djibouti, Niger, and Chad, as well as representatives from their counterparts in Mali and Mauritania.
This pivotal gathering provided an opportunity to review progress made in implementing the Desert to Power Initiative and to approve two essential strategic documents: the Common Framework for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and the Green Mini-Grids Promotion Strategy.
The Common IPP Framework, developed in close collaboration with the Desert to Power taskforce and the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), sets out standardized principles and documents to facilitate the development of large-scale solar power plants under public-private partnerships (PPPs). The mini-grid strategy aims to establish a clear roadmap for accelerating deployment and encouraging broader participation.
“We must redouble our efforts and work in synergy to meet our shared goals”
Ministers welcomed the major strides made by the Initiative, particularly the rollout of over fifteen projects, with the first installations already in operation. They also highlighted the importance of capacity-building efforts.
Discussions continued during a technical workshop on financial modeling, aimed at strengthening financial analysis tools to support the viability of national electricity utilities across the Sahel. The active participation of CEOs and CFOs of national electricity companies underscored the operational grounding of the Initiative.
Thanking the African Development Bank for its support to the participating countries through Desert to Power, Minister Gouba emphasized: “This meeting marks a fresh start. We must redouble our efforts and work in synergy to meet our shared goals.”
Kevin Kariuki, Vice President of the African Development Bank Group in charge of Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth, applauded the ministers for their commitment. He emphasized that the validated Common IPP Framework is a key lever for accelerating the development of solar projects led by independent power producers, to the benefit of communities across the Sahel.
He also invited countries to align with Mission 300, an ambitious joint effort by the African Development Bank and the World Bank aimed at providing electricity access to 300 million people across Africa by 2030, with the goal of achieving universal energy access.
“Mission 300 is more than a target—it’s a call for coordinated action, political leadership, and focused implementation that no country can afford to ignore,” Kariuki stated.
On the sidelines of the meeting, participants visited the Gonsin photovoltaic power plant, located northwest of Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou. With an installed capacity of 42 MWp and a 10 MW storage system, the facility—developed under the Desert to Power Initiative—stands as a tangible example of the Initiative’s concrete results and impact in Burkina Faso.
