08 Jun 2026
ERI Article: WAPP’s Ambition Grows Amid Reform, but further Integration needed to close gaps
- New cross-border trading opportunities are opening in the West African Power Pool (WAPP), but more regulatory and system reform is needed ahead of market launch in 2026.
- The Transco CLSG and North Core Interconnection Project transmission corridors will provide a physical backbone for regional power trade, but further demand-side planning and clearer pricing is required to increase the volume of exchanges.
- The ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) has established a commission to support harmonization of transmission network pricing and has introduced the WAPP network code, which includes technical standards all operators must respect.
- It continues work to establish common tariff methodologies, standardized contracts, and transparent settlement procedures in the second phase of WAPP development, focused on operationalizing interconnections between Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, and Mali
- A remaining challenge is to level up variations in institutional which create an uneven regulatory environment that hinders WAPP’s ability to function as a single, coordinated market.
- The sustainability of WAPP’s reforms depends on improving the financial solvency of national utilities, accelerating internal transmission upgrades, and depoliticizing cross-border energy governance.