World Bank Group President David Malpass met with Ibrahim Yacoubou, Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies of Niger, to discuss Niger’s need to vastly increase energy supply and electricity access for its rapidly growing population.
President Malpass also encouraged an early choice of direction to replace wood for cooking and emphasized the World Bank Group‘s financing to support transformative projects in energy generation, including hydro and solar, as well as transmission lines. In addition, he stressed the need for faster progress in project implementation, noting rapidly increasing demand.
Further, the pair spoke about the need for greater involvement of private companies in the energy sector and encouraged transparency in bidding processes and competitive approaches to energy generation based on the framework of the Least-Cost-Plan in Electricity Generation, which is being developed in partnership with the World Bank.
President Malpass and Minister Yacoubou also visited the Gorou Banda Energy Hub, which hosts strategic energy projects, including over $1.2 billion in projects financed by the International Development Association.