Chairman of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) executive board, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, has urged member utilities to pay their statutory contributions, describing them as the foundation of the Pool’s autonomy.
He spoke after the Board unanimously re-elected him for another three-year term at its 68th Meeting, held in Lomé, Togo, on October 8 and 9, 2026.
“Statutory contributions are not a formality; they are the basis of WAPP’s autonomy and capacity to act,” he said.
He called on members to honour their financial obligations, while the Secretariat continues to cut costs without weakening its critical functions.
Thanking Board members for their confidence, Abdulaziz pledged to keep working with the team to advance the Pool’s cause. He urged utilities to take collective responsibility for building a more viable regional electricity market, noting that Board meetings are for decisions that must strengthen WAPP’s capacity to meet the region’s energy needs.
Abdulaziz recalled that the 67th Meeting approved principles for the progressive establishment of the Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO), with the WAPP Information and Coordination Centre (ICC) retaining a transitional role to keep operations running.
He said the task before the Board is to implement those decisions within a sound legal, institutional and financial framework that protects the interests of WAPP and its members.
The chairman identified network synchronisation and the launch of the regional electricity market as two key technical issues.
He described synchronisation as a major technical achievement that must be backed by coordinated system operation, appropriate security arrangements, and market readiness among participants and stakeholders.
According to him, the regional market will deliver on its promise only if it rests on clearly understood rules, reliable data, credible financial mechanisms, and independent, effective governance.
Secretariat’s update
The secretary general of WAPP and Secretary of the Executive Board, Abdoulaye Dia, said that since the 67th session, the Pool has continued to implement guidelines on institutional strengthening and the progressive operationalisation of the ISMO.
He said this includes functional and accounting unbundling, and an orderly transition that allows the ICC to ensure continuity during Phase 2 of the Regional Electricity Market.
Dia said the progress made and the institution’s increased visibility have attracted new partnerships. He reaffirmed the Secretariat’s commitment to building an integrated, reliable and competitive regional electricity system ahead of the launch of the market’s second phase early next year.
Speaking on member contributions and the Pool’s 2025 financial statements, he urged utilities to settle outstanding dues. He said regular funding, rigorous management and collective discipline are critical to WAPP’s credibility and service delivery.
The Board discussed the restructuring study on the operationalisation of the ISMO, which it said is in line with best practice and necessary to reduce political interference as the WAPP market evolves.
It also 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 welcomed new representatives of member utilities:
Lawrent Tossou, new managing director of Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE), representing Benin; Amidou Traore, new director general of CI-ENERGIES; and Julien Sagna, representing Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Manantali (SOGEM).
The Board reviewed membership applications from four utilities in the sub-region: Konexa, from Nigeria;
SOGESART (Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Sambangalou et du Réseau de Transport d’Électricité), from Senegal;
SOGEOH (Société de Gestion de l’Énergie des Ouvrages du Haut Bassin du Fleuve Sénégal); and HOLDEN – Niger SARL, an Independent Power Producer (IPP) from Niger.
The four utilities will be ratified at the WAPP General Assembly, to be held before the end of the year.