Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz Re-elected WAPP Executive Board Chairman for Another Three-Year Tenure, Urges Compliance, Strong Frameworks
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Chairman of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) Executive Board, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, has been unanimously re-elected for another three-year tenure, pledging to strengthen regional electricity cooperation, improve institutional governance and ensure compliance with financial obligations by member utilities.
The development was contained in a press release issued by the Management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on October 11, 2026, following the 68th Meeting of the WAPP Executive Board held in Lomé, Togo, on October 8 and 9.
Speaking after his re-election, Abdulaziz thanked members of the Executive Board for their confidence and pledged to work collectively with them to advance the organisation’s objectives and build a more viable regional electricity market.
He urged member utilities to embrace shared responsibility, stressing that Board meetings must produce decisions that strengthen WAPP’s ability to respond effectively to the region’s energy needs.
Abdulaziz recalled that the Board’s 67th meeting had approved principles for the progressive establishment of an 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 implement the decisions within a sound legal, institutional and financial framework that safeguards the interests of WAPP and its members.
The chairman also emphasised the importance of regular financial contributions by member utilities, describing them as essential to the organisation’s independence and operational effectiveness.
“Statutory contributions are not a formality; they are the basis of WAPP’s autonomy and capacity to act,” Abdulaziz said, urging members to fulfil their financial obligations while the Secretariat continued efforts to reduce costs without undermining essential functions.
On technical priorities, he identified network synchronisation and the launch of the regional electricity market as critical to advancing electricity integration across West Africa.
He explained that successful synchronisation required coordinated system operations, appropriate security arrangements and adequate market readiness among participants, adding that the regional market would only deliver its expected benefits through clear rules, reliable data, credible financial mechanisms and effective independent governance.
Earlier, WAPP Secretary-General and Secretary of the Executive Board, Abdoulaye Dia, said the organisation had continued implementing guidelines on institutional strengthening and the progressive operationalisation of the ISMO since the previous meeting.
Dia explained that the process included 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 added that the progress achieved and WAPP’s increased visibility had attracted new partnerships, reaffirming the Secretariat’s commitment to building an integrated, reliable and competitive regional electricity system ahead of the planned launch of the market’s second phase early next year.
The Board also reviewed the status of member contributions and WAPP’s 2025 financial statements, with Dia stressing that regular funding, rigorous financial management and collective discipline were essential to the organisation’s credibility and service delivery.
Other key issues considered included a restructuring study on the operationalisation of the ISMO, aimed at aligning the organisation with best practices and mitigating 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.
The meeting welcomed new representatives of member utilities, including Lawrent Tossou, Managing Director of Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE), representing Benin; Amidou Traore, Director-General of CI-ENERGIES; and Julien Sagna, representing Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Manantali (SOGEM).
Additionally, the Board reviewed membership applications from four utilities seeking to join the regional power pool: Nigeria’s Konexa; Senegal’s SOGESART and SOGEOH; and HOLDEN–Niger SARL, an independent power producer from Niger.
The applications are expected to be submitted for ratification at the WAPP General Assembly scheduled to hold before the end of 2026.
