Nigeria Targets Grid Connection As WAPP North Core Passes 75%

… Says work ongoing to complete 330kv line in Nigeria

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is working to complete the Nigerian section of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) North Core 330kV Interconnection Project and prepare its connection to the national grid, as the regional project has surpassed 75 per cent of overall completion.

The project links Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo. The milestone was highlighted at the opening of the 8th Joint Supervision Mission of the project’s financing partners, held in Abuja.

Participating countries and development partners used the mission to review progress, examine outstanding implementation challenges, and explore measures to accelerate completion of the remaining works.

It was disclosed that in Nigeria, work is ongoing to complete the 330kV transmission line and to prepare for its connection to the national grid, in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

The chairman of the WAPP executive board and the managing director/chief executive officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said sustained cooperation, timely decision-making and continued commitment from all stakeholders were needed as the project nears its final implementation phase.

Abdulaziz, who was represented by the general manager, Programme Coordination, TCN, Engr. Aminu Tahir, noted that the progress reflected years of dedicated effort by engineers, technicians, project personnel, participating governments and development partners.

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

The WAPP secretary general,  Abdoulaye Dia, represented by the director of Planning, Investment Programming and Environmental Safeguards (PIPES),  Kodjo Afidegnon, said the project was of strategic importance for regional electricity integration.

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

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

According to him, the challenges had contributed to delays, increased costs, and the suspension of construction activities in some locations to protect project personnel from insecurity.

He added that despite the setbacks, sustained cooperation among participating countries, national electricity utilities and financing partners had enabled the project to achieve significant progress.

The mission was told that in Benin, the Malanville substation had been provisionally accepted, while work on the Niger River crossing was underway.

It was also disclosed that in Burkina Faso, the Ouaga Est and Ouaga Sud-Est substations, along with 33 kilometres of 225kV transmission lines linking them to the network, had been commissioned.

In Niger, equipment installed at Niamey II and Gazaoua had been operational since July, supporting the stabilisation of the two existing 132kV interconnection lines supplying Niger from Nigeria.

On the social and environmental components, it was stated that the project had compensated 5,726 project-affected persons, and almost all reported grievances had been resolved.

It was further stated that the project had electrified 170 communities in Burkina Faso and Niger and created 2,483 jobs along the project corridor.

A representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) said a results-oriented mission was needed to identify practical measures to accelerate implementation, address security concerns and contractor performance challenges, and safeguard the overall project completion schedule.

The representative emphasised that accelerated implementation must not compromise environmental and social safeguards, health and safety, or the protection of workers and host communities.

He also noted that delays in any participating country would undermine the expected benefits of the regional interconnection, adding that completing critical infrastructure in Niger was essential to realising the project’s full benefits.

The AfDB, he said, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the participating countries, national electricity utilities and WAPP in addressing outstanding challenges and completing the project.

When completed, the project is expected to strengthen regional electricity interconnection, facilitate cross-border power trade, and enhance cooperation among participating countries, thereby 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 in the participating countries, and the national electricity utilities of Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo.