NEWS

The African Development Bank, in partnership with the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), has concluded a three-day training workshop on the Joint Protocol on Independent Power Producers (IPPs), held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from December 1 to 3, 2025.

The workshop followed recommendations issued by African energy ministers at the 5th Desert to Power Ministerial Meeting, calling for the dissemination and application of the Joint IPP Protocol across member countries. The objective is to support the development of competitive and bankable solar projects under the Desert to Power Initiative.

The training aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding and practical use of the Joint IPP Protocol toolkit. Sessions focused on contract models, risk management approaches, and the effective application of standardised documentation to accelerate project preparation and negotiations.

Participants included Desert to Power focal points from Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad, as well as legal experts involved in contract negotiations, representatives of energy ministries, public-private partnership project managers, and officials from national electricity utilities.

Mauritania, the first country to implement the Joint IPP Protocol for its inaugural IPP project with IWA Green Energy, shared its experience during the workshop. The country highlighted how the toolkit significantly reduced negotiation timelines and streamlined the project cycle, enabling a transition from negotiations to contract signing and financial close in a record ten months, from November 2024 to September 2025. This contributes directly to Mauritania’s Desert to Power and Mission 300 objectives.

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