WAPP President promotes urgent reforms to strengthen the regional energy market

The Chairman of the Executive Committee of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), Eng. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, called for decisive action to strengthen the governance of the institution and accelerate the development of a reliable regional electricity market.

He described ongoing restructuring efforts as a “strategic necessity” for the future of energy integration in West Africa.

Ndidi Mbah, WAPP Director General of Public Affairs, said this during the 67th meeting of the WAPP Executive Committee, held on Monday in Lomé, Togo.

Abdulaziz stressed that with the expansion of cross-border power exchanges, WAPP needs to reorganize its structures, increase transparency and improve efficiency to meet the growing demand and expectations in all member states.

He noted that the meeting comes at a critical time for the regional energy sector, with growing pressure to deliver a more integrated, competitive and sustainable electricity system. However, he said, strengthening interconnections, advancing the regional electricity market and maintaining effective governance arrangements remain central to WAPP’s mandate.

According to the statement, a focus of the meeting was the consideration of a restructuring study and its recommendations, which the president described as essential to improving WAPP’s institutional effectiveness.

He urged council members to critically evaluate proposals, identify immediate priorities and ensure reforms are implemented in a practical and results-oriented manner.

Abdulaziz outlined three guiding principles for the reform process, including continuity of the WAPP’s mandate, strong governance discipline and realistic implementation supported by adequate resources and measurable results which he said would ensure reforms translate into progress.

He underlined the need for the Executive Board to provide clear guidance, while providing the Secretariat with the mandate and tools necessary to act effectively.

The President also underlined the link between governance and financial stability, stressing that unlocking predictable market-based revenue streams through reforms is critical to sustaining progress in market development, system coordination and regional capacity building. Financial discipline, he added, is critical to the organization’s credibility.

He commended the WAPP Secretariat for its efforts under difficult conditions and called for continued support, with continued emphasis on efficiency, transparency and prudent management of resources. He further noted that a strong and well-governed regional market operator is essential to increase electricity trading as this will improve the reliability of supply, reduce costs through regional optimization and attract investment into the sector.

In his welcome speech, WAPP Secretary General Addoulaye Dia described the meeting as a key milestone for governance reform.

He stressed the importance of evaluating the implementation of past decisions, evaluating progress, identifying constraints and establishing clear directions to accelerate regional energy integration.

He reaffirmed WAPP’s mandate to promote regional electricity infrastructure while coordinating energy exchanges among ECOWAS Member States. He noted progress in grid interconnections with countries and market preparation and highlighted that while challenges persist, such as limited access to electricity, increased demand, significant investment needs and the fragile financial position of industry players, permanent synchronization of West African services needs to be carried out this year.

Addressing the restructuring agenda, Dia highlighted that reform is key to building a more robust and efficient institutional framework in line with the needs of a functional regional electricity market. He called for a transition from study to implementation through realistic, gradual and adequately funded reforms, including the gradual establishment of an independent market operator and clearer institutional roles.