UNDP and Sahara Group Join Forces to Promote Sustainable Energy and Sustainable Development Goals in Africa | General news

The Sahara Group, an international conglomerate of energy and infrastructure, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are working together to promote reliable access to affordable and sustainable energy and to integrate sustainable development goals. sustainable development (SDG) in the private sector, with a particular focus on SDG 7 (affordable energy).

The partnership was formalized on Monday, April 15 in New York during the formal signing of a memorandum of understanding by UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, and the Executive Director of the UNDP. Sahara group, Mr. Temitope Shonubi, in the presence of UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner and the Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, HE Ambbadador Tijani MuhammadBandé.

"650 million people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity. UNDP looks forward to partnering with the Sahara Group to ensure that all people in this region have access to affordable energy, an essential part of our work to help countries achieve the sustainable development goals of the region. by 2030, "said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator.

"At Sahara Group, we believe that access to energy is critical to accelerating sustainable development, particularly in developing economies. As the largest energy supplier in Africa, we are pbadionate about the partnership with UNDP and we are confident that it will inspire more interventions and ultimately facilitate access to reliable, clean and affordable energy for all Africans ", explained Temitope Shonubi.

Africa's energy demand is about to grow with rapid urbanization and economic growth. The 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 7, advocate universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services, including clean technologies and fuels.

Under this agreement, UNDP and the Sahara Group will work to identify the best solutions to leverage their respective networks and experience to create successful solutions that will contribute to sustainable development and provide support for monitoring. and reporting on the SDGs.

The Sahara Group was named in 2016 as one of two African companies in the Private Sector Advisory Group set up by the United Nations Fund for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGF). He has since played an important role in the conduct of this mandate through the establishment of the Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) Nigeria, which was inaugurated by the Vice President of Nigeria and includes more than thirty
companies and business foundations in Nigeria.

The partnership is expected initially to be deployed in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria.