By Kelvin Alohan
Guinea’s Prime Minister, Amadou Oury Bah, has called on West African countries to prioritise regional electricity integration and complementarity over national isolation to strengthen energy security and accelerate economic development across the sub-region.
Bah made the call while declaring open the 21st General Assembly of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), held in Conakry, Guinea, on November 6 and 7, 2027.
Representing President Mamadi Doumbouya, the Prime Minister urged member states to build a common West African energy community anchored on shared standards, institutional cooperation and improved performance.
He described energy as fundamental to national sovereignty, competitiveness, social progress and stability, noting that the historic interconnection of the 15 West African countries demonstrated the benefits of collective action.
Bah reaffirmed Guinea’s commitment to regional energy integration, highlighting the country’s strategic hydropower assets, including the Kaleta and Souapiti dams, as well as planned projects such as Koukoutamba, Sambangou and Amaria.
According to him, the projects position Guinea to become a major regional electricity supplier capable of supporting neighbouring countries and strengthening energy solidarity across West Africa.
“The Republic of Guinea, under the leadership of the President of the Republic, reaffirms its readiness to support this collective ambition and to contribute actively to the development of a more integrated, efficient, and united West African energy space,” he said.
Also speaking, Guinea’s Minister of Energy, Laye Sékou Camara, said the General Assembly should focus on concrete decisions, stronger governance and translating regional commitments into measurable results.
He stressed that WAPP’s effectiveness depended on member states honouring their obligations, particularly the regular payment of statutory contributions, which he described as critical to the organisation’s financial autonomy and institutional credibility.
Camara noted that expanding electricity access at the national level and strengthening regional power exchanges were complementary objectives rather than competing priorities.
He also cautioned against equating installed electricity generation capacity with actual supply capability, stressing the importance of transmission infrastructure in delivering power to consumers.
The minister described regional interconnection as a form of mutual insurance among countries, recalling how Guinea benefited from electricity support from Senegal following the fire at the Coronthie depot in December 2023.
He linked the country’s regional energy ambitions to the Simandou 2040 development programme and its objective of achieving universal electricity access.
Camara called for credible liquidity support mechanisms, compliance with common market rules, stronger institutional capacity and increased participation of women in the energy sector, particularly in professional and decision-making positions.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, disclosed that the second phase of the regional electricity market would be launched in early 2027.
He said the phase would introduce a day-ahead electricity market, allowing prices for cross-border power transactions to be determined by supply and demand within an organised, transparent and non-discriminatory framework.
According to him, the development would mark a significant transition from years of investment in transmission infrastructure, common operating rules and regional institutions to a functional electricity trading market.
“This is not merely a technical development, it represents a fundamental step forward,” Abdulaziz said.
He explained that the transition would require strict market discipline, reliable real-time data exchange, accurate metering systems, credible settlement arrangements and effective congestion and risk management.
Abdulaziz also disclosed that ongoing institutional reforms would establish an independent system and market operator, separating system operations from market management to guarantee fairness and protect decision-making from undue external influence.
He, however, emphasised that the transition must be carefully managed to avoid operational disruptions and preserve the continuity currently provided by WAPP’s Information and Coordination Centre.
The WAPP chairman further identified financial security as essential to building confidence in regional electricity transactions, noting that the proposed Liquidity Enhancement Revolving Fund was being studied and structured to address the challenge.
He urged member countries to prioritise the payment of their statutory contributions, describing them as essential to the organisation’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
Earlier, WAPP Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Dia, highlighted the successful synchronisation of the electricity networks of all 15 West African countries, describing it as a major milestone in regional energy integration.
He said the interconnected networks achieved four hours and five minutes of synchronisation on November 8, 2025, while a further test scheduled for November 2026 would target 48 hours of continuous synchronisation.
According to Dia, the exercise would consolidate the progress recorded and prepare the region for permanent synchronisation of its electricity networks.
He noted that governments and electricity utilities across the sub-region faced increasing pressure to improve service quality, guarantee security of supply, enhance competitiveness and expand electricity access.
Dia said WAPP had a responsibility to transform regional interconnection into practical, sustainable and structured cooperation that would make electricity a catalyst for economic and social development.
He also highlighted progress in developing a regional electricity tariff framework, supported by decisions adopted in 2026 by the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority.
The decisions include the transmission tariff methodology, tariff calculation procedures and the market fee framework.
Dia said the General Assembly was convened under the theme, “Consolidating the Regional Electricity Market as a Lever of Transformation and Resilience for West Africa.”
He thanked Guinea for its central role in advancing electricity cooperation and regional integration.
In his remarks, Director-General of Electricité de Guinée (EDG), El Hadji Gando Barry, said WAPP member countries shared the responsibility of ensuring reliable, accessible and sustainable electricity supply.
He noted that regional integration would enable countries to maximise the benefits of their different energy resources while strengthening solidarity among national electricity systems.
A major outcome of the General Assembly was the signing of the Inter-grid Operators Agreement by 17 transmission system operators across the regional power pool.
The agreement is expected to strengthen coordination and establish a framework for operational cooperation among transmission system operators, facilitating electricity exchanges across national networks.
The 21st WAPP General Assembly brought together energy ministers, electricity utility chief executives and international development partners from across the West African sub-region.
Discussions focused on the progress towards full synchronisation of regional electricity networks, the planned introduction of day-ahead and bilateral spot electricity markets in early 2027, and the completion of institutional arrangements required for the regional market’s effective operation.
The meeting underscored the growing importance of cross-border electricity trade in addressing power supply challenges, improving energy security and supporting economic growth across West Africa.