ECOWAS LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG 20/20) INITIATIVE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN SIERRA LEONE
"The Government of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), officially launched the ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Initiative on 28 April 2026 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Marking a major step toward expanding access to clean cooking energy nationwide. The launch was held alongside a high-level policy dialogue focused on clean […]"
The Government of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), officially launched the ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Initiative on 28 April 2026 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
This marks a major step toward expanding access to clean cooking energy nationwide. The launch was held alongside a high-level policy dialogue focused on clean cooking, gender equality, and child protection.
The initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a safer, cleaner household energy source. A pilot phase is expected to facilitate the transition of up to 10,000 households to clean cooking gas canisters across the country.
Officials said the programme is intended to improve public health, reduce environmental harm, and support the transition away from traditional cooking fuels. In fact, this initiative is meant to create an enabling environment for private investment, standards, and supply chains that make LPG more available and affordable.
The launch was honoured by the presence of His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. He was accompanied by Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr Fatima Maada Bio; Kenya’s First Lady, Ms Rachel Ruto; and Ghana’s former Second Lady, Ms Samira Bawumia.
This highlights Sierra Leone’s broader commitment to transforming the energy sector and achieving sustainable development. Ambassador John Azuma, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Sierra Leone, emphasised that the official launch of the pilot phase reinforces the principle of inclusive access to modern energy services.
"It ensures that vulnerable groups are fully integrated into the energy transition." — Ambassador John Azuma, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Sierra Leone
He emphasised the need for strong coordination between the ministries responsible for energy, education, gender, health, water resources, and finance in order to achieve broader results. Finally, he reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to working closely with Sierra Leone and all other member states to ensure the successful implementation and sustainability of this initiative.
As a reminder, the ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Initiative is a special programme of the ECOWAS Directorate of Energy and Mines. It is executed through an MoU signed by the ECOWAS Commission and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Energy in September 2025.
The Sierra Leone Clean Cooking Delivery Unit (CCDU) has been appointed as the implementation entity.
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Key Impact
- The ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Initiative will reduce dependence on wood and charcoal for cooking, cutting deforestation across Ghana's forest zones like the Ashanti and Western regions.
- Shifting 10,000 Sierra Leonean households to LPG as a pilot will demonstrate how Ghana's similar push, with support from the Ministry of Energy, could scale up clean cooking nationwide.
- Improved air quality in homes will lower respiratory illnesses, especially among women and children in rural Ghana, where indoor smoke from solid fuels is a major health hazard.
- The initiative can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from traditional cooking, helping Ghana meet its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Background
- ECOWAS launched the LPG 20/20 Initiative in Sierra Leone on 28 April 2026, building on a Memorandum of Understanding signed between ECOWAS and Sierra Leone's Ministry of Energy in September 2025.
- The programme is part of ECOWAS's broader push for universal access to clean cooking energy by 2030, aligning with Ghana's own target to increase LPG use to 50% of households.
- Sierra Leone's Clean Cooking Delivery Unit (CCDU) will implement the pilot phase, a model that Ghana's Energy Commission and National Petroleum Authority could adapt for similar initiatives in regions like Greater Accra and Northern Ghana.
- High-level attendees including Ghana's former Second Lady, Ms Samira Bawumia, signal regional collaboration and Ghana's potential role in scaling such efforts across West Africa.
Benefits
- Widespread LPG adoption will reduce indoor air pollution, cutting cases of pneumonia and chronic lung disease among Ghanaian women and children who cook daily with wood or charcoal.
- Farmers and food processors in Ghana's rural areas, such as the Upper East Region, will spend less time collecting firewood, freeing up time for agriculture and income-generating activities.
- The initiative will create new jobs in LPG distribution, retail, and cylinder refilling stations, especially in peri-urban and rural communities across Ghana.
- Private investment in LPG supply chains, supported by ECOWAS, will lower gas prices, making clean cooking more affordable for low-income households in Ghana.
Risks & Warnings
- Without proper safety training and regulation, increased LPG use could lead to gas leaks, fires, and explosions in poorly ventilated homes common in Ghana's dense urban slums like Accra's Old Fadama.
- If the pilot in Sierra Leone fails to address infrastructure gaps, Ghana's expansion plans may face delays as funding from donors and private investors could become cautious.
- Subsidies for LPG might strain government budgets, especially if global gas prices spike, potentially diverting funds from other agricultural support programs highlighted in Ghana's Planting for Food and Jobs initiative.
- There is a risk that the initiative could bypass the poorest households if distribution networks remain concentrated in urban areas, leaving remote farming communities in regions like Volta and Oti without access.
Who Is Affected
- Rural women in Ghana, who are the primary cooks and fuel gatherers, will be most directly affected by reduced smoke exposure and time savings from switching to LPG.
- Smallholder farmers in forest regions like the Eastern Region will benefit from slower deforestation, as less wood and charcoal are needed for cooking.
- The Ministry of Energy and the National Petroleum Authority in Ghana will need to coordinate closely with ECOWAS to adapt the LPG 20/20 model to local conditions, as done in Sierra Leone.
- Private sector entities, including local LPG distributors and cylinder manufacturers in Ghana, will gain new market opportunities through expanded clean energy supply chains.
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