The Federal Government announced on Friday that the transmission line being constructed under the West Africa Power Pool North Core Project would connect Nigeria to the Republics of Niger, Burkina Faso and Benin.

It announced this through the Transmission Company of Nigeria, whose acting Managing Director, Sule Abdulaziz, doubles as chairman of the Executive Board of WAPP.

Abdulaziz said the pool was committed towards completing the project, as the transmission line would link Nigeria to the three countries.

He spoke at the 52nd WAPP Executive Board Meeting taking place as part of the 16th Session of the WAPP General Assembly in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, according to a statement by the TCN.

He said, “The WAPP North Core Project that seeks to interconnect Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Benin is in the implementation phase with the procurement process underway.

“The project is expected to be completed by 2023 and is part of efforts of the WAPP to integrate the power systems of West African countries by delivering priority projects, which would ensure that all 14 countries in the mainland of ECOWAS are eventually interconnected.”

According to Abdulaziz, other projects undertaken within the West African subregion include the construction of the 330kV Volta (Ghana)-Lome ‘C’ (Togo)-Sakété (Benin) interconnection line that has been completed and will soon be energised.

He said the WAPP Cote d’Ivoire–Sierra Leone–Guinea project would also be inaugurated soon.

The TCN boss said the WAPP had continued to make efforts towards the effective operationalisation of the ECOWAS regional electricity by harmonising the market rules and agreement of participants on regulatory issues.

This, he said, would ensure flexibility in the power system and increase trading opportunities for market participants, among others.