COMESA and World Bank Champion Digital MRV for Regional Energy Transformation
The COMESA, in partnership with the World Bank, convened a high-level virtual webinar on Digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) under the ASCENT Program. The event, hosted on the Prospects platform, marked an important step toward strengthening regional capacity for data-driven energy access planning and climate resilience.
Sponsored by the World Bank through the ASCENT Project, the webinar which took place on 12th November 2025, attracted over 60 Monitoring & Evaluation experts and program managers from across the region, particularly those who missed earlier ASCENT training or required updates.
The webinar focused on practical skills, including navigating and interpreting the ASCENT dashboard, managing data ingestion workflows, and applying MRV for policy evaluation. Key expected outcomes included strengthening stakeholder capacity to use digital tools for monitoring and planning, improving coordination and transparency across regional energy programs and supporting climate-aligned electrification strategies through robust data analytics.
Opening the webinar, Mr. Ahid Maeresera, Programme Manager for ASCENT at COMESA Secretariat, underscored the strategic importance of digital solutions adding that the dMRV platform stands as a cornerstone for regional energy transformation, ensuring that every household connected contributes to a greener, more inclusive future.
Mr Maeresera hinted that at the heart of this transformation is the ASCENT Regional dMRV Platform, hosted on Prospects which provides standardized, interactive dashboards that enable including real-time tracking of implementation at national and regional levels, benchmarking performance across countries and delivery models and alignment of progress with COMESA’s regional energy and climate objectives.
He added that by integrating these capabilities, the platform empowers Member States to make evidence-based decisions, optimize resource allocation, and enhance accountability in the energy access ecosystem.
“ASCENT is driving progress towards ambitious energy access targets, connecting millions of households through diverse delivery models. To achieve this, we need transparent, real-time systems for tracking and decision-making,” Mr Maeresera said.
The Eastern and Southern Africa face urgent energy access challenges, with millions of households still lacking reliable electricity. The ASCENT Program, coordinated by COMESA, is spearheading efforts to accelerate electrification across 21 Member States, leveraging diverse delivery models and partnerships. However, the scale and complexity of these initiatives demand transparent, real-time systems to track progress and inform policy decisions.
For Member States, adopting dMRV is more than a technical upgrade but a strategic enabler for achieving universal energy access, meeting climate commitments, and fostering sustainable development. On the other hand, by harmonizing data systems and reporting standards, the region can accelerate progress toward SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and regional climate resilience targets.
