WAPP North Core 330kV Project Hits 75% Completion, Stakeholders Move to Fast-Track Delivery

WAPP North Core 330kV Project Hits 75% Completion, Stakeholders Move to Fast-Track Delivery

By Our Reporter

Abuja (Core Reporters) – The West African Power Pool (WAPP) North Core 330kV Interconnection Project, linking Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo, has achieved more than 75 per cent overall completion, with participating countries and development partners intensifying efforts to address outstanding challenges and accelerate the delivery of the regional electricity infrastructure.

The milestone was announced at the opening of the 8th Joint Supervision Mission of the project’s financing partners, held in Abuja from October 26 to November 6, 2026.

The mission provided an opportunity for participating countries and development partners to review implementation progress, assess outstanding challenges and identify practical measures to fast-track the completion of the remaining works.

Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, the General Manager, Programme Coordination, TCN, Engr. Aminu Tahir, called for sustained cooperation, timely decision-making and renewed commitment from all stakeholders as the project approaches its final implementation phase.

He said the progress recorded so far reflected years of dedication by engineers, technicians, project personnel, participating governments and development partners.

Tahir stressed that the immediate priority was to complete outstanding construction works and ensure that the huge investment translates into reliable electricity infrastructure capable of supporting regional power exchanges and strengthening the electricity systems of participating countries.

In his remarks, the WAPP Secretary General, Mr. Abdoulaye Dia, represented by the Director of Planning, Investment Programming and Environmental Safeguards (PIPES), Mr. Kodjo Afidegnon, underscored the strategic importance of the project to regional electricity integration.

He recalled that the initiative, launched in 2019, was designed to strengthen electricity supply security, facilitate cross-border power exchanges and support the development of an integrated regional electricity market.

Dia, however, identified several challenges that had slowed implementation, including insecurity along sections of the project corridor, flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, difficult political circumstances and border closures.

According to him, these setbacks contributed to delays, increased project costs and the suspension of construction activities in some locations to protect personnel from security threats.

Despite the challenges, he noted that sustained collaboration among participating countries, national electricity utilities and financing partners had enabled the project to record significant milestones.

In Benin, the Malanville substation has been provisionally accepted, while work on the Niger River crossing is ongoing.

In Burkina Faso, the Ouaga Est and Ouaga Sud-Est substations, alongside 33 kilometres of 225kV transmission lines connecting them to the network, have been commissioned.

In Niger, equipment installed at Niamey II and Gazaoua has been operational since July, helping to stabilise the two existing 132kV interconnection lines supplying electricity to the country from Nigeria.

In Nigeria, construction work is continuing on the 330kV transmission line, alongside preparations for its eventual connection to the national grid in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the project has also recorded progress in its environmental and social components.

A total of 5,726 project-affected persons have received compensation, while almost all reported grievances have been resolved.

The project has also facilitated the electrification of 170 communities in Burkina Faso and Niger and generated 2,483 jobs along the project corridor.

An African Development Bank (AfDB) representative said the supervision mission must be results-oriented, with emphasis on identifying practical interventions to accelerate implementation, address security concerns and improve contractor performance.

The representative cautioned, however, that efforts to fast-track construction must not undermine environmental and social safeguards, health and safety standards or the protection of workers and host communities.

The AfDB also warned that delays in any of the participating countries could undermine the expected benefits of the regional interconnection, stressing that the completion of critical infrastructure in Niger was particularly important to achieving the project’s full potential.

The bank reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the participating countries, national electricity utilities and WAPP in resolving outstanding challenges and ensuring the successful completion of the project.

When completed, the WAPP North Core Project is expected to strengthen regional electricity interconnection, facilitate cross-border power trade and deepen cooperation among participating countries, contributing to a more integrated and reliable West African electricity market.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the WAPP North Core Project Management Unit, the Ministries of Energy and Finance of participating countries, as well as national electricity utilities from Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo.