WAPP North Core project is 75% completed – TCN

From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) North Core 330kV Interconnection Project, linking Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo, has surpassed 75 per cent of overall completion.

However, participating countries and development partners have emphasised the need to address outstanding challenges and accelerate implementation to ensure the successful delivery of the regional power infrastructure.

The milestone was highlighted at the opening of the 8th Joint Supervision Mission of the Project’s Financing Partners, in Abuja, from October 26, to November 6, 2026.

In a statement, participating countries and development partners reviewed progress, examined outstanding implementation challenges, and explored measures to accelerate completion of the remaining works.

Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, the General Manager, Programme Co-ordination, TCN, Aminu Tahir, emphasised the need for sustained co-operation, timely decision-making, and continued commitment from all stakeholders as the project nears its final implementation phase.

He noted that the progress reflected years of dedicated effort by engineers, technicians, project personnel, participating governments, and development partners, stressing that the priority was to complete the outstanding construction works and ensure the investment translates into reliable electricity infrastructure capable of supporting regional power exchanges and strengthening the electricity systems of participating countries.

In his address, WAPP Secretary General, Mr. Abdoulaye Dia, represented by the Director of Planning, Investment Programming and Environmental Safeguards (PIPES), Mr Kodjo Afidegnon, emphasised the project’s strategic importance for regional electricity integration. He noted that the initiative, launched in 2019, was designed to strengthen electricity supply, security, facilitate cross-border electricity exchanges, and support the development of the regional electricity market.

Dia observed that several challenges had affected implementation, including insecurity along parts of the project corridor, flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, difficult political circumstances, and border closures.

These challenges, he noted, had contributed to delays, increased costs, and the suspension of construction activities in some locations to protect project personnel due to insecurity.