Guinea has called on West African countries to prioritise regional electricity cooperation and integration over national isolation to strengthen energy security, improve electricity access and accelerate economic development across the sub-region.
The Prime Minister and Head of Government of Guinea, Amadou Oury Bah made the call while opening the 21st General Assembly of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) in Conakry, Guinea.
Representing President Mamadi Doumbouya, Bah urged member states to build a unified West African energy community anchored on shared standards, effective cooperation and improved performance.
He described energy as a critical pillar of national sovereignty, competitiveness, social progress and stability, noting that the interconnection of the 15 West African countries demonstrates the benefits of collective action.
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The Prime Minister reaffirmed Guinea’s commitment to regional electricity integration, highlighting the country’s hydropower projects, including Kaleta and Souapiti, as well as proposed developments at Koukoutamba, Sambangalou and Amaria.
He said the projects would strengthen Guinea’s capacity to supply electricity to neighbouring countries and support regional energy solidarity.
Also speaking, Guinea’s Minister of Energy, Laye Sékou Camara, said the Assembly must translate existing commitments into concrete results through stronger governance, financial discipline and compliance with statutory obligations by member states.
He stressed that expanding national electricity access and strengthening regional power exchanges were complementary objectives, adding that installed generation capacity must be matched by the ability to transmit electricity to consumers.
In his remarks, Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board, Engineer Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, announced that the second phase of the regional electricity market is expected to commence in early 2027.
He said the phase would introduce a day-ahead electricity market, allowing prices for cross-border electricity transactions to be determined by supply and demand within a transparent and non-discriminatory framework.
Abdulaziz explained that the development would mark a major transition from infrastructure investment to a functional regional electricity market, supported by reliable data exchange, effective metering, settlement arrangements and market discipline.
He also disclosed that ongoing institutional reforms would establish an independent system and market operator to strengthen transparency and separate system operations from market management.
Earlier, WAPP Secretary General, Abdoulaye Dia, highlighted the successful synchronisation of the electricity networks of the 15 West African countries for four hours and five minutes on November 8, 2025.
He said a further synchronisation test scheduled for November 2026 would target 48 hours, as part of efforts towards permanent regional grid synchronisation.
Dia also highlighted progress in developing a regional electricity tariff framework, including transmission tariff methodology, tariff calculation procedures and market fees.
The Assembly, held under the theme, “Consolidating the Regional Electricity Market as a Lever of Transformation and Resilience for West Africa,” brought together energy ministers, utility executives and international development partners.
At the end of the meeting, 17 Transmission System Operators from the regional power pool signed an Inter-grid Operators Agreement to strengthen coordinated operations across interconnected electricity networks.
The development is expected to advance cross-border electricity trading and reinforce regional cooperation towards a more reliable and integrated West African electricity market.
