Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Nigeria and ECOWAS pays a working visit to Sediko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Nigeria and ECOWAS pays a working visit to Sediko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation

Abuja (Nigeria), 9 May 2023. H.E. Juan Sell, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Nigeria was received in audience on the afternoon of Monday 8 May 2023 at Niger House in Abuja by Sediko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation. During the working session, which was also attended by Mrs. Raquel Ferrando Sellers, the Head of Spanish Cooperation in Nigeria, the two personalities discussed several topics including the future cooperation programme, support to some projects implemented by PPDU and ECREEE, as well as the Commissioner's participation in the 2nd edition of the Cote d'Ivoire-Spain Multilateral Days next June in Abidjan.

The status of the draft document on the future cooperation programme between the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Kingdom of Spain was the first topic discussed during the meeting. Ambassador Sell disclosed that a qualified expert is working on a draft document on the new cooperation areas and programmes with the Kingdom of Spain, which will soon be transmitted to ECOWAS by the end of June. It is against this backdrop that the Director for Africa of the Spanish Cooperation Agency will be in Abuja from 17 to 19 May, for working sessions with Heads of the respective Departments and Agencies involved in Spain's technical and financial support to the ECOWAS Commission.

The Spanish Ambassador also stated that efforts are being made to renew the Memorandum of Understanding signed between ECOWAS and Spain for the year 2024 regarding funding of some projects at the ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU) and the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE).

Lastly, Ambassador Sell availed himself of the audience to officially invite Commissioner Sédiko Douka to the 2nd edition of the Cote d'Ivoire-Spain Multilateral Days, which will take place in Abidjan on 13 and 14 June 2023. The event is a meeting of major financial institutions involved in the financing of energy, infrastructure and transport.