He emphasizes, "The project is particularly committed to reaching out to women and young people while also addressing gender disparities and environmental concerns." The funding for this initiative amounts to 1,086,476,580 CFA francs, allocated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the UNDP, and the Government of Burkina Faso.

A Green Program with an Innovative Approach  

In Burkina Faso, the project has been built on four pillars. Firstly, policy and regulation aim to overcome the identified political, regulatory, and institutional barriers that hinder private sector investments in renewable energy mini-grids in the country. Secondly, large-scale financing is crucial to facilitate access to low-cost commercial capital (equity and debt), ideally in local currency, in order to reduce the cost of mini-grids and ensure their long-term commercial viability. Thirdly, project and business model innovation, with active engagement from the private sector, plays a vital role. Finally, the use of digital tools and solutions, knowledge management, and monitoring and evaluation are essential components.

"Typically, communities with limited resources adopt cooperative management models for electricity. My hope is that by 2025, we can achieve a very high rate of rural electrification in off-grid areas, and I believe that our project will make a significant contribution. The private sector is the driving force behind development. Once it finds a suitable model, it replicates and deploys it. It is up to us (UNDP) to make this model available," explains Roger Baoue. 

In general, the Africa Mini-grids Program is set to benefit 21 countries across the continent. According to the modeling conducted by the UNDP, mini-grids are the least expensive approach to provide electricity to 265 million people in these countries by 2030. To seize this opportunity, an estimated USD65 billion in new investments would be required. This would involve the construction of 110,000 mini-grids, providing access to electricity for over 200,000 schools and healthcare centers, as well as 900,000 small and medium-sized enterprises.

Renewable Energy: A Crucial Endeavor for Sahelian States 

In the face of development imperatives and the well-being of their people, in a region severely affected by the adverse effects of climate change, the widespread adoption and access to renewable energy sources are more crucial than ever. Recognizing these challenges, Sahelian states have embarked on the implementation of these grand endeavors. For instance, Burkina Faso established a significant National Agency for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in 2017, tasked with “promoting, stimulating, coordinating, facilitating, and implementing operations aimed at developing renewable energy and energy efficiency.” In 2015, the Burkinabe government set a goal of doubling its installed capacity in megawatts for renewable energy within twenty years, from 15% in 2010 to 36% by 2030.

The International Energy Agency, acknowledging the Sahel's powerful potential in green energies (wind, biomass, solar, hydropower, etc.) and its economic opportunities, projects that, following a positive trend, by 2030, the Sahel region must connect 8.5 million people annually throughout the decade. Based on geospatial analyses that determine the most effective technologies to provide electricity to Sahelian populations, grid extensions will connect nearly half of the households without access to electricity, especially in the densely populated regions of Senegal and Mauritania. Mini-grids will connect one-third of the population, while individual solar systems will be the most cost-effective and rapid solution for one-fifth of those gaining access to electricity. Achieving universal access to clean cooking, on the other hand, requires deploying over 2 million modern cooking appliances annually.