Minister Dugasse

The Minister for Industries and International Business, Jacquelin Dugasse, represented Seychelles at the two-day European Union-sponsored symposium on Energy for Africa, held in Nairobi, Kenya.

The symposium, held from the November 20 to 21, brought together energy ministers and their senior officials and private sector representatives from African-ACP member countries.

It was organised within the framework of the European Union Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development (EUEI), launched during the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2002. The Initiative is also in response to the Millennium Development Goals.

The primary objective of the symposium was the identification, promotion and development of potential renewable energy sources within respective African countries and the roles that the EU can play in supporting the sustainable exploitation of the identified renewable energy potentials to assist the development processes of each country.   

The symposium explored and agreed on the way forward to further promote increased access to energy services for lighting, cooking, refrigeration, communication, water pumping, and productive activities, and ways in which the European Union (EU) can assist African countries in achieving this objective.

The link between energy, poverty alleviation and socio economic development in general was also emphasised.

The meeting noted that around two billion people have no access to modern energy, lack clean, safe cooking fuels and depend on biomass sources. 

Ninety percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa relies on traditional biomass to meet its residential energy needs. 

The final outcome of the symposium was an agreement on key priority areas to be pursued by countries with the support of EU and other developmental partners in line with the objective of improving access to renewable and conventional energy in ACP member countries.

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