DAKAR, Senegal (XOL AFRICA) — Senegal has presented the findings of its draft National Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan, seeking to strengthen energy efficiency measures across the country’s economy and accelerate implementation of its energy transition goals.
The draft strategy was presented Sept. 10 at a workshop in Dakar attended by about 60 energy efficiency stakeholders. The session was organised by the Agency for the Economy and Management of Energy (AEME), under Senegal’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
The work was supported by the African Energy Commission (AFREC) through the Continental Energy Programme in Africa (CEPA), which is funded by the European Union.
Three key documents were presented during the workshop: the draft National Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan (NEESAP), Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) guidelines and Minimum Energy Performance Requirements (MEPR) for new buildings.
The draft NEESAP updates Senegal’s National Energy Management Strategy 2015-2030 and extends the country’s energy efficiency vision to 2050.
Stakeholders also reviewed the methodology used to prioritise measures in the action plan, including an assessment of expected energy savings against implementation costs.
Discussions focused on strengthening the draft strategy and ensuring it responds to Senegal’s development priorities for 2035 and 2063. Contributions from participants will be incorporated into the final documents.
“We are not developing strategies for countries; we are developing them with countries, under their leadership and according to their priorities,” said Mehdi Khouili, Principal Capacity Building, Partnerships and Countries’ Support Officer at AFREC.
“Senegal is showing how Africa’s continental energy efficiency ambitions can be translated into concrete national action,” Khouili said. “Our next challenge is to move together from strategy to implementation, and from implementation to measurable results.”
The NEESAP covers major energy-consuming sectors, including industry, services and trade, appliances and clean cooking, buildings, transport and electricity supply.
The strategy is aligned with the African Union’s target of increasing Africa’s energy productivity by 50% by 2050 and 70% by 2063 under the African Energy Efficiency Strategy, which was approved by African Union heads of state in February 2025.
The proposed framework would provide Senegal with a single reference point for energy efficiency policies through 2050. It identifies priority measures, responsible institutions and the investment required for implementation.
The strategy is also intended to guide ministries, energy agencies, utilities, regulators and financial institutions while providing the private sector, professional organisations, universities and civil society with a common framework for planning.
Development finance institutions and other technical and financial partners, including the European Union, are also expected to use the strategy as a reference when supporting Senegal’s energy transition.
The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and AEME are expected to convene a high-level meeting within the next two months to adopt the strategy and discuss investment mobilisation for priority measures identified in the action plan.
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