WAPP Re-elects Sule Abdulaziz for Second Term, Prioritises Regional Electricity Market

WAPP Re-elects Sule Abdulaziz for Second Term, Prioritises Regional Electricity Market

By Our Reporter

Abuja (Core Reporters) – The West African Power Pool (WAPP) has unanimously re-elected the Chairman of its Executive Board, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, for another three-year term, with regional electricity market integration, institutional reforms and financial sustainability topping the organisation’s agenda.

Abdulaziz was re-elected during the 68th Meeting of the WAPP Executive Board, held in Lomé, Togo, on October 8 and 9, 2026.

Speaking after his re-election, Abdulaziz thanked members of the Board for renewing their confidence in his leadership and pledged to continue working with member utilities to advance WAPP’s objectives.

He urged member utilities to strengthen collective responsibility towards building a viable regional electricity market, stressing that Executive Board meetings must produce decisions that enhance the organisation’s capacity to address the region’s energy needs.

Abdulaziz recalled that the Board, at its 67th meeting, approved the principles for the progressive establishment of the Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO), while preserving operational continuity through the transitional role of the WAPP Information and Coordination Centre (ICC).

He said the priority was to ensure that the decisions were implemented within a sound legal, institutional and financial framework that safeguards the interests of WAPP and its members.

The chairman also emphasised the importance of statutory contributions to the organisation’s autonomy and operational capacity, urging member utilities to fulfil their financial obligations.

“Statutory contributions are not a formality; they are the basis of WAPP’s autonomy and capacity to act,” he said.

He added that the Secretariat must sustain its cost-reduction initiatives without undermining the critical functions required to deliver on the organisation’s mandate.

On technical priorities, Abdulaziz highlighted network synchronisation and the launch of the regional electricity market, describing synchronisation as a major technical achievement that requires coordinated system operations, appropriate security arrangements and market readiness among participating utilities and stakeholders.

He noted that the regional electricity market could only deliver its full benefits if supported by clear and widely understood rules, reliable data, credible financial mechanisms and independent, effective governance.

Earlier, the WAPP Secretary General and Secretary of the Executive Board, Mr. Abdoulaye Dia, said the organisation had continued implementing institutional strengthening guidelines and measures towards the progressive operationalisation of the ISMO since the 67th meeting.

According to Dia, the process includes functional and accounting unbundling, alongside an orderly transition that enables the ICC to maintain operational continuity during Phase Two of the Regional Electricity Market.

He said the progress recorded and WAPP’s growing institutional visibility had attracted new partnerships, reaffirming the Secretariat’s commitment to developing an integrated, reliable and competitive regional electricity system ahead of the planned launch of the market’s second phase early next year.

Addressing the status of member contributions and the Pool’s 2025 financial statements, Dia called on member utilities to settle outstanding financial obligations, noting that regular funding, rigorous financial management and collective discipline were essential to WAPP’s credibility and service delivery.

The Board also considered a restructuring study on the operationalisation of the ISMO, a process intended to align the organisation with international best practices and mitigate political interference as the regional electricity market evolves.

Among other decisions, the Board adopted the Charter of the Forum for Women in Energy in West Africa and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Millennium Challenge Account Côte d’Ivoire.

The meeting also welcomed new representatives of member utilities to the Executive Board.

They include Mr. Lawrent Tossou, the

Julien Sagna

new Managing Director of Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE), representing Benin; Mr. Amidou Traore, the new Director General of CI-ENERGIES; and Mr. Julien Sagna, representing Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Manantali (SOGEM).

In another development, the Board reviewed membership applications from four utilities seeking to join the regional power pool.

The applicants are Konexa of Nigeria; Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Sambangalou et du Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (SOGESART) of Senegal; Société de Gestion de l’Énergie des Ouvrages du Haut Bassin du Fleuve Sénégal (SOGEOH); and HOLDEN–Niger SARL, an independent power producer from Niger.

The applications are expected to be ratified at the WAPP General Assembly scheduled to hold before the end of 2026.