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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), Engineer Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, the General Manager, Programme Co-ordination, TCN, Engineer 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).
Despite these setbacks, sustained co-operation among participating countries, national electricity utilities, and financing partners has enabled the project to achieve significant progress.
“In Benin, the Malanville substation has been provisionally accepted, and work on the Niger River crossing is under way. In Burkina Faso, the Ouaga Est and Ouaga Sud-Est substations, along with 33 kilometres of 225 kV transmission lines linking them to the network, have been commissioned.
“In Niger, equipment installed at Niamey II and Gazaoua has been operational since July, supporting the stabilisation of the two existing 132 kV interconnection lines supplying Niger from Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, work is ongoing to complete the 330kV transmission line and to prepare for its connection to the national grid, in co-ordination with relevant stakeholders” he stated.
According to him, the project has also made progress in its social and environmental components. It has compensated 5,726 project-affected persons, and almost all reported grievances have been resolved. In addition, the project has electrified 170 communities in Burkina Faso and Niger and created 2,483 jobs along the project corridor.
An African Development Bank (AfDB) representative, said a results-oriented mission is needed to identify practical measures to accelerate implementation, address security concerns and contractor performance challenges, and safeguard the overall project completion schedule. The representative further emphasised that accelerated implementation must not compromise environmental and social safeguards, health and safety, or the protection of workers and host communities.
The representative also noted that delays in any participating country would undermine the expected benefits of the regional interconnection, as completing critical infrastructure in Niger is essential to realising the project’s full benefits.
The AfDB reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the participating countries, national electricity utilities, and WAPP in addressing outstanding challenges and completing the project.
The successful completion of the WAPP North Core Project is expected to strengthen regional electricity interconnection, facilitate cross-border power trade, and enhance co-operation among participating countries, thereby contributing to a more integrated and reliable West African electricity market.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the AfDB, World Bank, WAPP North Core Project Management Unit, the Ministries of Energy and Finance in the participating countries, and the national electricity utilities of Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. ENDS
