Recommendations from the Abidjan edition

At the end of the Abidjan Summit, participants put forward recommendations for public authorities, financiers and operators. Here they are.

On 15 and 16 May 2025, the ỌYA ÉNERGIES Summit took place in Abidjan around one theme: Côte d’Ivoire and electricity supply, a land of opportunity. After two days of debate, participants adopted recommendations addressed to public authorities, financiers and operators.

What the Summit highlighted

Three findings shaped the discussions. First, electricity demand is growing faster than new capacity in several countries of the region. Second, the best-prepared projects find financing, but many files stumble on the quality of their contracts. Finally, decentralised solutions, mini-grids and solar systems, are becoming a credible complement to the grid.

Recommendations for public authorities

• Publish a multi-year calendar of generation tenders, so investors can prepare
• Harmonise licences and feed-in tariffs between neighbouring countries to facilitate regional projects
• Clarify the framework applicable to mini-grids: concession length, arrival of the national grid, compensation

Recommendations for financiers

• Standardise financing documentation for small projects to reduce transaction costs
• Offer partial guarantees to cover the counterparty risk of public buyers
• Finance project preparation, feasibility study included, and not only construction

Recommendations for operators

• Measure and publish the real availability of installations to build the sector’s credibility
• Develop mobile money and pay-as-you-go payment, which reduce unpaid bills
• Invest in training local technicians for maintenance

The project that gets financed is the one whose contract stands up, not just the one whose technology is good.

What next?

These recommendations feed the ỌYA Intelligence work programme and the preparation of the Benin 2027 Summit. The full document, with the commitments made during the session, can be downloaded below.