Guinea Calls for Stronger Regional Electricity Cooperation as WAPP Holds 21st Assembly
Oru Leonard
The Prime Minister of Guinea, Amadou Oury Bah, has called on West African countries to prioritise regional electricity cooperation and complementarity over national isolation, stressing the need for a more integrated and reliable energy market 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 conveyed the President’s goodwill message to delegates, energy sector executives, independent power producers and technical partners attending the gathering.
He urged member states to work towards building a stronger West African energy community founded on shared standards, effective cooperation and improved performance.
Describing energy as fundamental to national sovereignty, economic competitiveness, social development and stability, Bah said the interconnection of the 15 countries in the sub-region demonstrated the benefits of collective action.
He reaffirmed Guinea’s commitment to regional energy integration, highlighting the strategic importance of the Kaleta and Souapiti hydropower projects, as well as future developments, including Koukoutamba, Sambangalou and Amaria.
According to him, these projects would strengthen Guinea’s capacity to become a major regional electricity supplier and contribute to energy security across West Africa.
“The Republic of Guinea, under the leadership of His Excellency 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, described the 21st General Assembly as an important opportunity to strengthen confidence, improve governance and translate regional commitments into measurable achievements.
He emphasised that WAPP’s effectiveness depended on the commitment and discipline of member states, particularly in meeting their obligations and paying statutory contributions regularly.
Camara explained that expanding electricity access within individual countries was complementary to regional power exchanges, adding that installed electricity capacity alone did not guarantee effective delivery without adequate transmission infrastructure.
He described regional interconnection as a form of mutual insurance among countries, recalling how Guinea benefited from electricity support from Senegal following the December 2023 fire at the Coronthie depot.
The minister also linked Guinea’s regional energy ambitions to its Simandou 2040 development programme and the government’s objective of achieving universal electricity access.
He called for credible financial support mechanisms, compliance with common regulations, stronger institutional capacity and increased participation of women in the energy sector.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, announced that the second phase of the regional electricity market was scheduled for launch in early 2027.
He explained that the new phase would introduce competition through a day-ahead electricity market, where prices for power traded between countries would be determined by demand and supply within a transparent, organised and non-discriminatory framework.
Abdulaziz described the development as a major milestone in the region’s energy integration efforts, noting that investments made over the past two decades in transmission infrastructure, common regulations and institutions must now translate into a functional electricity market.
He said the successful transition would depend on market discipline, real-time exchange of reliable data, accurate metering, transparent settlement arrangements and effective management of transmission congestion and operational risks.
The WAPP Executive Board Chairman further disclosed that ongoing institutional reforms would establish an independent system and market operator, separating electricity system operations from market management to promote fairness, transparency and accountability.
He, however, stressed that the transition must be carefully managed to avoid disruptions and preserve the operational continuity currently provided by the Information and Coordination Centre.
On financial sustainability, Abdulaziz said the proposed Liquidity Enhancement Revolving Fund was being studied and structured to strengthen confidence in regional electricity transactions.
He urged member states to prioritise the payment of statutory contributions, describing them as essential to WAPP’s financial independence and operational effectiveness.
Earlier, the Secretary General of WAPP, Abdoulaye Dia, identified the synchronisation of electricity networks across the 15 West African countries as one of the organisation’s major achievements.
He recalled that the regional power networks successfully maintained synchronisation for four hours and five minutes on November 8, 2025.
Dia said another synchronisation test scheduled for November 2026 would target 48 hours, with the objective of consolidating the existing achievement and preparing the region for permanent synchronisation.
He noted that governments and electricity companies across the sub-region faced increasing demands for improved service delivery, reliable power supply, competitiveness and wider access to electricity.
According to him, WAPP has a responsibility to transform regional interconnection into practical, sustainable and credible cooperation capable of making electricity a major driver of economic and social development.
Dia also highlighted progress in establishing a regional electricity tariff framework, supported by decisions adopted in 2026 by the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority.
These include the methodology for transmission tariffs, procedures for tariff calculation and the regional electricity market fee.
He said the Assembly was convened under the theme, “Consolidating the Regional Electricity Market as a Lever of Transformation and Resilience for West Africa,” noting that regional electricity cooperation remained essential to addressing the sub-region’s power supply challenges.
He particularly acknowledged Guinea’s strategic contribution to regional energy cooperation.
Welcoming delegates, the Director-General of Electricité de Guinée (EDG), El Hadji Gando Barry, stressed the collective responsibility of WAPP members to ensure reliable, accessible and sustainable electricity for citizens across the region.
He noted that regional integration would enable countries to maximise their different energy resources while strengthening cooperation and solidarity among national electricity systems.
A major outcome of the Assembly was the signing of the Inter-grid Operators Agreement by 17 Transmission System Operators across the regional power pool, providing a framework for coordinated operations through interconnected electricity networks.
The 21st WAPP General Assembly brought together energy ministers, chief executives of electricity utilities and international development partners from across the ECOWAS sub-region.
The meeting reviewed progress in regional electricity integration, including the near-completion of synchronisation of national power networks, preparations for the introduction of day-ahead and bilateral spot electricity markets in early 2027, and the development of institutional arrangements for effective market operations.
Participants reaffirmed that regional electricity integration had moved beyond a long-term aspiration to become an increasingly practical instrument for strengthening energy security, promoting economic development and improving electricity access across West Africa.
