Mr. Oluwafemi T. Fajemirokun, Head of Information, Telecom, and SCADA at the West African Power Pool (WAPP), has revealed efforts by WAPP to achieve a permanent synchronization of national electricity grids across West Africa, a development expected to improve power reliability and foster a competitive regional electricity market.
He made this known during a webinar hosted by the Brew-Hammond Energy Centre in collaboration with the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) on 12th December 2025.
He revealed that West Africa’s electricity networks had, until recently, operated in three separate synchronous zones, which limited the region’s ability to fully integrate electricity markets. However, a successful test conducted last month has now cleared the way for the establishment of a unified synchronous grid.
“A successful test last month has now paved the way for one unified synchronous grid,” he said.
He explained that synchronization will allow for seamless cross-border electricity flow, improved system stability, and optimised generation dispatch across West Africa.
“With permanent synchronization, we can now coordinate generation and transmission more efficiently, reduce power outages, and open the door for a truly competitive regional electricity market ... This is a critical milestone toward ensuring reliable and affordable electricity for our citizens,” he added.
Mr. Fajemirokun also provided background on WAPP, noting that it was established in 1999 under the auspices of ECOWAS. Over the past decade, WAPP has built the infrastructure and regulatory frameworks necessary for regional integration, including interconnecting transmission lines, harmonising grid codes, and establishing control rooms for real-time system monitoring.
He highlighted the rationale of its establishment.
“WAPP is an independent power association of power utilities and private utilities within the ECOWAS member countries. The vision was to integrate the national power systems into a unified electricity markets with the goal of providing the ultimate long and medium and long term, a regular reliable energy at competitive costs with a mission to promote power generation, power transmission as well as coordinating the power exchanges,” he said.
Professor David Ato Quansah, Director of the Brew-Hammond Energy Centre emphasised the role of the Centre in the energy sector.
“Our task is to harness and deploy the vast research capabilities and skills within the university ecosystem to try and address the increasingly complex challenges of energy and sustainability within Ghana and the continent at large,” he said.