WAPP NORTH CORE PROJECT HITS 75% COMPLETION AS PARTNERS RAMP UP EFFORTS FOR TIMELY DELIVERY By Raymond Enoch

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) North Core 330kV Interconnection Project, a strategic regional electricity infrastructure initiative linking Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo, has achieved more than 75 per cent overall completion, raising expectations for enhanced cross-border electricity trade and a more integrated West African power market.

The milestone comes as participating countries and international development partners intensify efforts to address outstanding implementation challenges, accelerate construction activities and ensure the timely delivery of the landmark regional energy project.

The renewed push for completion featured prominently at the opening of the 8th Joint Supervision Mission of the Project’s Financing Partners, held in Abuja from October 26 to November 6, 2026, where representatives of the participating countries, national electricity utilities and development partners assessed implementation progress and explored practical measures to fast-track outstanding works.

Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, the General Manager, Programme Coordination, TCN, Engr. Aminu Tahir, underscored the importance of sustained collaboration, timely decision-making and collective commitment among all stakeholders as the project approaches its final implementation phase.

He noted that the achievement represented years of sustained efforts by engineers, technical personnel, participating governments, project management teams and development partners.

According to him, the immediate priority is to overcome the remaining implementation bottlenecks, complete outstanding construction works and translate the significant financial and technical investments into functional electricity infrastructure capable of strengthening regional power exchanges.

He stressed that the successful delivery of the project would represent a major advancement in West Africa’s collective ambition to develop a reliable, interconnected and competitive regional electricity market.

Also addressing the gathering, WAPP Secretary General, Mr Abdoulaye Dia, represented by the Director of Planning, Investment Programming and Environmental Safeguards (PIPES), Mr Kodjo Afidegnon, described the North Core Project as a critical component of the region’s long-term electricity integration strategy.

He explained that the initiative, launched in 2019, was conceived to strengthen electricity supply security, expand cross-border power exchanges and accelerate the development of an integrated regional electricity market.

However, he acknowledged that implementation had encountered considerable difficulties, including insecurity along sections of the project corridor, flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruptions, challenging political developments and border closures.

These circumstances, he observed, had contributed to implementation delays, increased project costs and the temporary suspension of construction activities in some locations to safeguard the lives of project personnel.

Despite these challenges, sustained cooperation among participating governments, national electricity utilities, WAPP and international financing institutions has enabled considerable progress across the five-country corridor.

In Benin, the Malanville substation has received provisional acceptance, while construction activities on the Niger River crossing are progressing.

Burkina Faso has recorded significant milestones with the commissioning of the Ouaga Est and Ouaga Sud-Est substations, alongside 33 kilometres of 225kV transmission lines connecting the facilities to the national network.

In Niger, equipment installed at the Niamey II and Gazaoua substations has been operational since July, contributing to the stabilisation of the two existing 132kV interconnection lines supplying electricity to the country from Nigeria.

Nigeria, meanwhile, is advancing work towards the completion of its 330kV transmission line infrastructure and preparations for its integration into the national grid in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Beyond the physical infrastructure, the project has also recorded measurable achievements in its environmental, social and economic development components.

Available project figures indicate that 5,726 project-affected persons have received compensation, while almost all reported grievances have been resolved.

The project has additionally facilitated the electrification of 170 communities in Burkina Faso and Niger and generated 2,483 jobs along the project corridor, underscoring its potential to deliver development benefits beyond electricity transmission.

A representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) emphasised the need for a results-oriented supervision mission capable of identifying practical solutions to accelerate implementation, resolve security-related concerns and address contractor performance challenges.

The representative maintained that the urgency of completing the project must not undermine environmental and social safeguards, occupational health and safety standards or the protection of workers and host communities.

The AfDB also cautioned that delays in any of the participating countries could compromise the overall benefits of the regional interconnection, stressing that the completion of critical infrastructure in Niger remains particularly important to unlocking the project’s full potential.

The Bank reaffirmed its commitment to supporting WAPP, participating governments and national electricity utilities in resolving outstanding challenges and ensuring the successful completion of the project.

The North Core Project is widely regarded as an important investment in West Africa’s regional integration architecture, with the potential to transform electricity cooperation among participating countries through improved transmission capacity, enhanced supply security and expanded opportunities for cross-border power trading.

Its successful completion is expected to strengthen the interconnected electricity systems of the five countries, facilitate more efficient utilisation of available generation capacity and create opportunities for countries with surplus electricity to supply those experiencing deficits.

More broadly, the initiative reinforces the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) commitment to regional infrastructure development, energy security and economic integration, recognising that reliable electricity supply remains fundamental to industrialisation, trade, investment and sustainable development.

With more than three-quarters of the project completed, the outcome of the ongoing supervision mission is expected to be instrumental in resolving outstanding issues, strengthening implementation coordination and maintaining momentum towards the project’s final delivery.

The meeting brought together representatives of the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the WAPP North Core Project Management Unit, Ministries of Energy and Finance from participating countries, and national electricity utilities from Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo.

For West Africa, the North Core Project represents more than a transmission infrastructure investment; it is a strategic pathway towards a shared electricity market, stronger regional interdependence and a more sustainable energy future.