By Abass Mahmoud Sillah Jr
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled a regional Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) initiative in Sierra Leone aimed at accelerating the transition to clean cooking and reducing dependence on traditional biomass fuels across West Africa. The initiative, known as the ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Programme, was officially launched in Sierra Leone, marking a significant step in the region’s efforts to promote cleaner, safer, and more sustainable household energy solutions. The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, reaffirmed the regional body’s commitment to expanding access to clean cooking energy, describing the initiative as a transformative intervention for public health, environmental protection, and socio-economic development.
His keynote address was delivered by Ambassador John Azumah on his behalf during a high-level ceremony attended by President Julius Maada Bio, who also chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. Other dignitaries included First Lady Fatima Maada Bio, Kenya’s First Lady Rachel Ruto, Ghana’s Second Lady Samira Bawumia, government ministers, and development partners. Dr. Touray described the initiative as a decisive regional response to one of West Africa’s most persistent development challenges—limited access to clean cooking solutions. He noted that only about 21 percent of households in the region currently use LPG, while the majority still rely on firewood and charcoal.
This continued dependence, he warned, exposes millions of people—particularly women and children—to dangerous indoor air pollution. “Continued reliance on biomass fuels contributes significantly to respiratory illnesses, environmental degradation, and deforestation, while placing an unequal burden on women and girls,” he stated. The ECOWAS Commission further highlighted the strong link between energy access and gender equality, stressing that time spent collecting firewood reduces opportunities for education, income generation, and empowerment for women and girls across the region. The LPG 20/20 Initiative is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which seeks to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy.
The programme aims to distribute 20 million LPG cylinders to 20 million households across West Africa, with Sierra Leone and The Gambia selected as pilot countries. It builds on the ECOWAS Regional LPG Strategy adopted in 2018, which targets a 45 percent LPG penetration rate by 2030. ECOWAS has previously supported several member states—including Sierra Leone, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and The Gambia—in developing national LPG strategies to guide implementation and improve access to clean cooking energy. Commending Sierra Leone’s leadership, the ECOWAS Commission praised the establishment of the Clean Cooking Delivery Unit (CCDU), which is tasked with coordinating national implementation of the initiative and ensuring effective cross-sectoral collaboration.
According to ECOWAS, successful implementation will require strong coordination among key ministries, including energy, health, finance, education, and gender, to ensure that policy commitments translate into measurable impact. A symbolic handover of LPG cylinders to selected beneficiaries formed a key highlight of the launch event, underscoring the programme’s commitment to inclusive access, particularly for vulnerable communities. The initiative also places strong emphasis on women’s economic empowerment, positioning women not only as beneficiaries but as active participants in the clean energy value chain. Opportunities in LPG distribution, maintenance, and related enterprises such as fish processing are expected to generate new livelihoods and strengthen household resilience.
“This is where energy policy meets economic transformation,” the Commission noted, emphasizing that empowering women as entrepreneurs and innovators will be critical to the long-term success of the programme. Reaffirming ECOWAS’ commitment, Dr. Touray pledged continued collaboration with Sierra Leone and other member states to ensure effective implementation and sustainability of the initiative. He called for sustained efforts to translate regional policy frameworks into tangible improvements in people’s lives, formally declaring the ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Initiative in Sierra Leone officially launched. The initiative is expected to play a pivotal role in reshaping household energy use across West Africa, while advancing public health, environmental sustainability, gender equality, and inclusive economic growth.
