What are West Africans doing to improve their power systems?

West Africans are now moving in many directions to enhance their power systems. This report ofers an overview of the challenges and the great profusion of activity across the region. It should inform conversation at Nigeria Energy in Lagos (19-21 September) and at the Africa Energy Expo in Rwanda next year.

How can trade benefit the West African Power Pool?

By interconnecting neighboring power systems and pooling energy resources, trade within the West African Power Pool could reduce energy costs while increasing power system resilience and reliability in the region.

What is the main source of power in West Africa?

Hydroelectric power is the dominant source of power in the region and is the focus of most of the large schemes underway, although there are also plans to develop more gas-fired plants and some initiatives to develop coal-fired capacity. West African countries have now begun to develop utility-scale solar power.

What is the West African Power Pool?

The West African Power Pool is a specialized agency of ECOWAS. It covers 14 of the 15 countries of the regional economic community ( Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra... Recruitment of an individual consultant for the preparation, monitoring and...

Will the West African Power Pool reshape the development trajectory of West Africa?

Since the early 2000s, the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) has been working toward a vision of a fully integrated regional power market, the West African Power Pool (WAPP), that could not only address many of the woes of the current power systems but redefine the development trajectory of West Africa.

Does West Africa face an energy conundrum?

West Africa, home to a rapidly growing population and persistently high rates of poverty, faces an energy conundrum. If solved, this conundrum has the potential to unleash economic development, drive down poverty, and improve the quality of life of millions of people.