The West African Power Pool,(WAPP) has pledged to prioritise credible electricity market, and infrastructure development in its plans ,which is expected to gulp$36.4bn from 2019-2033 to deepen regional integration of power access for member countries.
WAPP members comprise largely of Economic Community of West African State, ECOWAS member countries who pull resources together to advance power access of member countries, while deepening regional electricity access.
Nigeria’s Minister of state for Power Goddy Jeddy Agba told member countries in one of the technical session that additional 600 megawatss of electricity would be added to grow power integration in the sub-region.
According to the Minister,”ECOWAS Master Plan for the development of regional generation and transmission infrastructure that has identified projects to be pursued by the WAPP for the period 2019 to 2033 has an investment requirement of about $36.4 billion.
The Minister pointed out that,”The Master Plan was adopted by the ECOWAS Minister’s in charge of energy on December 4,2018 and subsequently approved by the ECOWAS Ministers in charge of energy on December 4,2018 and subsequent approved by the ECOWAS Heads of state and Government on December 22,2018 through supplementary Act.”
In addition, he states further that the ECOWAS Council of Minister’s upon recommendation from the ECOWAS Minister’s in charge of energy issued a directive on the securitisation of cross-border power trade in the regional electricity market.
Usman Gur Mohammed,the Managing director of Transmission Company of Nigeria,who is the Chairman of WAPP told the member countries that regional integration of power in the sub-region remains priority for member countries.
He appealed to donor partners at the conference to ensure consistent support with further appeal to them to soft pedal on the conditionalities in the release of the support fund for the project,which would see to the timely completion of the project.
