The African Energy Commission (AFREC) recently unveiled a set of diagnostic reports and five-year action plans in Dakar, Senegal, aimed at transforming how African countries collect, manage, and use energy data. The event, held from 17 to 19 December, brought together senior energy officials, national coordinators, and technical partners from across the continent to mark a major step in strengthening National and Regional Energy Information Systems (NEIS and REIS), which are central to policy planning, investment decisions, and regional energy integration.
The launch signaled both political commitment and technical readiness to address longstanding gaps in Africa’s energy data infrastructure.
AFREC Executive Director Rashdi Ali Abdallah opened the ceremony by stressing that reliable, harmonised energy data is fundamental to Africa’s energy security and industrial development. “No effective energy policy can exist without reliable energy data, and no continental integration can succeed without credible and harmonised Energy Information Systems,” he told delegates.
The event reflected the culmination of a continent-wide effort to move from fragmented, inconsistent energy statistics toward robust, comparable, and actionable datasets that can guide both national and regional decision-making.
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The reports and action plans build on the first phase of AFREC’s programme, which supported ten AU member states in modernizing their energy data systems. The current phase, launched in October 2024, expands support to sixteen additional countries, including Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Senegal, Somalia, and Tunisia, as well as two regional blocs, ECCAS and SADC.
Each participating country received a tailored diagnostic report assessing existing capacities, institutional responsibilities, and technological gaps, alongside a corresponding action plan that outlines reforms, capacity-building needs, and strategic investments.
Senegal’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mining, Cheikh Niane, emphasised the critical role of political leadership in elevating energy data systems. “Strong political will is essential to prioritise energy statistics as a strategic pillar of our national programmes.
By fostering peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, we can adopt best practices, strengthen capacity, improve data quality, and drive sustainable improvements across African energy sectors,” he said. The launch in Dakar served as a formal handover of the reports, signalling national commitment to implementation and coordination across technical agencies.
Technical expertise for the initiative was provided by the Innovation Energie Development (IED) Consult and ENERDATA consortium, which worked closely with national coordinators to ensure the reports were context-specific and actionable.
The reports were technically validated earlier in Lomé, Togo, in July 2025 before being officially presented in Dakar. They provide a roadmap for establishing modern, reliable, and harmonised energy information systems capable of supporting universal energy access, energy security, industrialisation, and a just energy transition.
Beyond reporting, the AFREC initiative is intended to drive practical outcomes. By harmonising energy data, governments can better plan investments in power generation, grid expansion, and renewable energy projects. Investors and development partners will have access to more reliable information, reducing risks associated with financing infrastructure in low-data environments.
For regional integration, standardised energy data facilitates cross-border projects, such as electricity trade and grid interconnections, which are essential for the African Continental Free Trade Area and broader continental energy strategies.
AFREC also plans to mobilise financing and technical support to ensure that the action plans are implemented effectively. The reports will be submitted to the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Transport and Energy, reinforcing continental oversight and encouraging accountability at both national and regional levels.
By institutionalising energy data governance, the programme seeks to position AFREC as the authoritative continental agency guiding Africa’s energy future, where data-driven decisions underpin sustainable development and the transition to cleaner, more accessible energy systems.
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The Dakar launch represents a turning point for Africa’s energy policy landscape. For years, inconsistent data has hampered planning, investment, and policy coordination. With the new diagnostic reports and action plans, African countries now have a concrete framework to strengthen their energy statistics, improve resilience, and ensure that decisions, from rural electrification to industrial-scale renewable projects, are grounded in reliable evidence.
In a continent where energy access remains uneven and climate pressures are mounting, this initiative is a decisive step toward a more integrated, informed, and sustainable energy future for Africa.
