Usman Gur Mohammed, WAPP Chairman

The ECOWAS common electricity market is set to commence by next year, 2020, according to the Chairman of the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), Usman Gur Mohammed.

He gave the indication while delivering an opening remarks at the WAPP Executive Board meeting, yesterday in Abuja.

He said that the common electricity market within the African subregion is no longer an illusion but a reality as most of the projects and programmes meant to facilitate it were almost completed through the able leadership of the WAPP.

According to him, “Through the exemplary leadership of this group, the secretariat has been able to implement its programs and steer on course the attainment of full network integration and synchronization.

“The ECOWAS regional electricity market is no more an illusion but a reality in form and substance with imminent commissioning of the CLSG and OMBG projects and completion of WAPP ICC, all expected in 2020, competitive market is on the way.”

On the Executive board meeting which is prelude to the General Assembly meeting, he said it was meant to give account of their stewardship in the last one year

He said: “I’m very pleased after a successful year of operation, we shall convene this meeting of general assembly to present the account of stewardship to the organisation that is entrusted to us by the general membership.

“This occasion gives us an opportunity to appraise our members and stakeholders about what we have been doing in regards to interconnection preparation and implementation, creation of new electricity market and information coordination centre project and the accompanying measures to prepare us for electricity market and interconnection network management and operation.

“It shall also enable us to fulfill our fiduciary responsibility with respect to the financial resources put at our disposal by members and our partners.”

Mohammed who also doubles as the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), also stressed the need for members to remain committed and never allow the tempo of activities to go down.

“While members have tried to build a very transparent and responsible organisation and have substantially invested their meager resources to get to this stage, we cannot lower the bar or reduce the level we have achieved”, he said.

While fielding questions from Journalists, he said the essence of the WAPP is to allow energy to flow from places where the cost of producing energy is low to where it is demanded so that ultimately, the cost of energy across west Africa is reduced.

On major problem so far encountered, he said, “I can’t say we have encountered any major problem. You know we are constructing the WAPP Information  Coordination Centre (ICC). We expected the ICC to have been completed by now, unfortunately it is not completed.

“But we have found solution to it that by early next year, it will be completed. So, if there is any set back I can say we encountered this year, I think it is only the ICC that is not completed.”