By Nkechi Eze
The West African Power Pool (WAPP) has unanimously re-elected Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz as Chairman of its Executive Board for another three-year tenure, with a call on member utilities to strengthen compliance, financial discipline and institutional frameworks for an efficient regional electricity market.
The re-election took place during the 68th Meeting of the WAPP Executive Board, held in Lomé, Togo, on October 8 and 9, 2026.
Abdulaziz, who expressed appreciation to members for the confidence reposed in him, pledged to continue working with the Board to advance WAPP’s mandate of developing an integrated, reliable and competitive electricity market across West Africa.
He urged member utilities to embrace collective responsibility in strengthening the regional power sector, stressing that Executive Board meetings should produce decisions that improve the organisation’s capacity to respond to the region’s growing energy needs.
The WAPP Chairman recalled that the 67th Executive Board Meeting had approved principles for the progressive establishment of the Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO), while preserving operational continuity through the transitional role of the WAPP Information and Coordination Centre (ICC).
He said the priority was to ensure that the decisions were implemented within a sound legal, institutional and financial framework that safeguards the interests of WAPP and its member utilities.
Abdulaziz also underscored the importance of statutory contributions to the organisation’s financial independence and operational effectiveness, urging member utilities to fulfil their financial obligations while the Secretariat sustains efforts to reduce costs without compromising essential functions.
“Statutory contributions are not a formality; they are the basis of WAPP’s autonomy and capacity to act,” he said.
On the technical front, he identified network synchronisation and the launch of the regional electricity market as critical priorities requiring coordinated system operations, adequate security arrangements and the readiness of market participants and stakeholders.
According to him, the regional electricity market can only achieve its objectives if supported by clearly defined rules, reliable data, credible financial mechanisms and independent, effective governance.
Earlier, the Secretary General of WAPP and Secretary of the Executive Board, Mr. Abdoulaye Dia, said the organisation had continued implementing guidelines for institutional strengthening and the progressive operationalisation of the ISMO since the 67th session.
Dia explained that the process involved functional and accounting unbundling, alongside an orderly transition that would enable the ICC to maintain operational continuity during Phase Two of the Regional Electricity Market.
He attributed WAPP’s growing visibility and new partnerships to the progress recorded by the institution, reaffirming the Secretariat’s commitment to building an integrated and competitive regional electricity system ahead of the planned launch of the market’s second phase early next year.
The Secretary General also emphasised the need for member utilities to settle outstanding contributions, noting that regular funding, rigorous financial management and collective discipline were essential to the organisation’s credibility and effective service delivery.
The meeting further considered a restructuring study on the operationalisation of the ISMO, which is intended to align the process with international best practices and mitigate political interference as the regional electricity market evolves.
The Board 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, among other decisions.
As part of changes in Board representation, members welcomed Mr. Lawrent Tossou, Managing Director of Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE), representing the Republic of Benin; Mr. Amidou Traore, Director General of CI-ENERGIES; and Mr. Julien Sagna, representing Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Manantali (SOGEM).
The Board also reviewed membership applications from four utilities seeking to join the regional power pool. They include Konexa of Nigeria; SOGESART, the Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Sambangalou et du Réseau de Transport d’Électricité of Senegal; SOGEOH, the Société de Gestion de l’Énergie des Ouvrages du Haut Bassin du Fleuve Sénégal; and HOLDEN–Niger SARL, an independent power producer from Niger.
The applications are expected to be ratified at the WAPP General Assembly scheduled to hold before the end of 2026.
The meeting’s decisions underscore WAPP’s continuing efforts to strengthen institutional governance, secure sustainable funding and advance the regional electricity market to improve power system reliability and energy cooperation across West Africa.
