SBEE: The Ivorian Hippolyte Ebagnitchié appointed new director
The Council of Ministers, meeting on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, has enacted a major change at the head of the Beninese Electric Power Company (SBEE). Hippolyte Ebagnitchie succeeds André-Marie Kaczmarek, who was appointed to this position in December 2023.
Logo de la SBEE : Société béninoise d’énergie électrique
This strategic replacement reflects the government’s desire to infuse new energy into this key public company for the country’s energy development.
A graduate engineer from the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne, Hippolyte Ebagnitchie, of Ivorian origin, has extensive experience in the energy sector. He has held several responsible positions in Ivory Coast, notably as the head of the National Authority for Regulation of the Electricity Sector (ANARE-CI), of GS2E, and as Deputy Director General of the Ivory Coast Electricity Company (CIE).
He is also the founding president of the Association of Francophone Energy Regulators, a regional platform for energy cooperation.
Beyond his technical career, the new leader of the SBEE has made his mark on the civic level by serving as the mayor of the municipality of Assinie-Mafia. In this capacity, he led various initiatives in favor of education, health, the environment, and youth inclusion. A cross-cutting approach that reflects his ability to interlink local governance and sustainable development strategies.
His appointment to the head of the SBEE comes in a context of structural reforms and heightened expectations in terms of access to electricity, network reliability, and energy transition.
The government is counting on his expertise and vision to strengthen the performance of the company, improve the quality of the public service, and drive major electrification projects.