17 West African Electricity Operators Sign Inter-grid Agreement as Guinea Hosts WAPP General Assembly
Seventeen Transmission System Operators from West Africa have signed an Inter-grid Operators Agreement aimed at strengthening electricity transmission and cooperation across the sub-region.
The agreement was signed at the 21st General Assembly of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), held in Conakry, Guinea, bringing together Energy Ministers, electricity utility executives and international development partners from the 15 ECOWAS member states.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Guinea’s Prime Minister, Amadou Oury Bah, urged member countries to embrace regional electricity cooperation instead of operating in isolation.
Representing President Mamadi Doumbouya, Bah said West African countries must work towards establishing a unified energy community through shared infrastructure, common standards and effective cooperation.
He described electricity as a major driver of economic growth, national sovereignty, competitiveness and social development.
The Prime Minister also highlighted Guinea’s potential to become a major electricity supplier in West Africa, pointing to the Kaleta and Souapiti hydropower dams and future projects such as Koukoutamba, Sambangalou and Amaria.
He reaffirmed Guinea’s readiness to contribute to the development of an integrated and efficient regional electricity market.
Also speaking, Guinea’s Minister of Energy, Laye Sékou Camara, challenged WAPP members to strengthen governance, fulfil their financial obligations and ensure that regional electricity commitments translate into practical results.
He noted that improving electricity access within individual countries should complement regional power exchanges rather than compete with them.
Camara further explained that having installed electricity generation capacity does not automatically translate into reliable supply without adequate transmission infrastructure.
He cited Guinea’s experience of receiving electricity support from Senegal after the December 2023 fire at the Coronthie depot as evidence of the importance of regional interconnection.
In his remarks, WAPP Executive Board Chairman, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, announced that the second phase of the regional electricity market would be launched in early 2027.
According to him, the new phase will introduce a day-ahead market where electricity prices between participating countries will be determined by demand and supply within a transparent and competitive framework.
He described the development as a significant achievement after years of investment in regional transmission infrastructure, institutional arrangements and common operating rules.
Abdulaziz also disclosed that plans were underway to establish an independent system and market operator to separate electricity system operations from market management and strengthen transparency.
He stressed
