The West African Power Pool (WAPP) North Core 330kV Interconnection Project, linking Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo, has surpassed 75 per cent overall completion.
The milestone was disclosed at the opening of the 8th Joint Supervision Mission of the Project’s Financing Partners, held in Abuja from 26 October to 6 November 2026.
Participating countries and development partners used the mission to review progress, examine outstanding implementation challenges and explore 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 Abdulaziz, the General Manager, Programme Coordination, TCN, Aminu Tahir, emphasised the need for sustained cooperation, timely decision-making and continued commitment from all stakeholders.
He said the progress reflected years of dedicated effort by engineers, technicians, project personnel, participating governments and development partners.
Mr Tahir stressed that the priority now is 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 Abdoulaye Dia, represented by the Director of Planning, Investment Programming and Environmental Safeguards (PIPES), Kodjo Afidegnon, emphasised the strategic importance of the project for regional electricity integration.
He said 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.
Mr Dia listed the challenges that affected implementation, including insecurity along parts of the project corridor, flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, difficult political circumstances and border closures.
He said the challenges contributed to delays, increased costs and the suspension of construction activities in some locations to protect project personnel.
Despite the setbacks, he said sustained cooperation among participating countries, national electricity utilities and financing partners has enabled the project to achieve significant progress.
Country-by-country progress
In Benin, he said the Malanville substation has been provisionally accepted, while work on the Niger River crossing is underway.
In Burkina Faso, he noted that 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, he said the 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, according to him, work is ongoing to complete the 330kV transmission line and to prepare for its connection to the national grid, in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
He explained that the project has also recorded 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,” he said.
A representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) 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.
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The representative 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.
What completion will mean
According to TCN, the successful completion of the WAPP North Core Project is expected to strengthen regional electricity interconnection, facilitate cross-border power trade and enhance cooperation among participating countries, thereby contributing to a more integrated and reliable West African electricity market.
