By Gold Jeremiah

The Chairman of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) Executive Board, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, has been re-elected for another three-year term, with a call on member utilities to honour their financial obligations and strengthen institutional frameworks for a reliable regional electricity market.


According to a statement issued by the Management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Sunday, Abdulaziz’s re-election took place at the 68th meeting of the WAPP Executive Board held in Lomé, Togo, on October 8 and 9, 2026.


Speaking after his re-election, he thanked members for their confidence and pledged to work with the board to advance regional electricity integration and improve the capacity of WAPP to meet West Africa’s growing energy needs.


He said member utilities must embrace collective responsibility to ensure that decisions taken by the board translate into tangible progress, particularly in the development of a viable regional electricity market.

•Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, Chairman, West African Power Pool (WAPP) Executive Board

Abdulaziz recalled that the board’s 67th meeting approved principles for the gradual establishment of an Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO), while retaining the WAPP Information and Coordination Centre (ICC) to ensure operational continuity during the transition.


He said the priority was to implement the decisions within a sound legal, institutional and financial framework that would protect the interests of WAPP and its members.


The chairman described statutory contributions as fundamental to the organisation’s autonomy and operational effectiveness, urging member utilities to settle their outstanding obligations.

“Statutory contributions are not a formality; they are the basis of WAPP’s autonomy and capacity to act,” he said, while assuring that the secretariat would continue to pursue cost-reduction measures without undermining critical functions.


He also identified network synchronisation and the launch of the regional electricity market as key priorities, stressing that synchronisation must be backed by coordinated system operations, adequate security arrangements and the readiness of market participants.


According to him, the regional electricity market can only deliver its expected benefits if supported by clear 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 guidelines on institutional strengthening and the gradual operationalisation of the ISMO since the previous meeting.


Dia said the process included functional and accounting unbundling, alongside an orderly transition that allows the ICC to maintain continuity during the second phase of the Regional Electricity Market.

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


On the organisation’s finances, Dia emphasised the need for member utilities to settle outstanding contributions, noting that regular funding, prudent management and collective discipline were essential to WAPP’s credibility and service delivery.


The meeting also considered a restructuring study on the operationalisation of the ISMO, aimed at aligning the organisation with best practices and reducing the risk of political interference as the regional electricity market develops.



The board further 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.


It also welcomed new representatives of member utilities, including the Managing Director of Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique, Mr Lawrent Tossou, representing Benin; the Director-General of CI-ENERGIES, Mr Amidou Traore; and Mr Julien Sagna, representing the Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Manantali.



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


They 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 in Niger.


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