By Stanley Ugagbe
In what could be adjudged a crucial decision, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries, through the West African Power Pool (WAPP), has set a 2023 date for the completion of the $567.5 and 600 megawatts project.
The Nigerian Canadian News gathered that the sub-regional body noted that the large electricity market was to allow reliable and affordable electricity supply to citizens within member states.
Records have it that WAPP, a specialized institution of the ECOWAS covers 14 of the 15 countries of the regional economic community, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Recall that Managing Director of the TCN, Mr Gur Mohammed, who was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari last week, was the Chairman of WAPP, until he was relieved of his duties.
In its remarks, TCN noted that with the framework of interconnecting grids, Cote d’Ivoire – Ghana – Benin/Togo – Nigeria will have the coastal backbone, while Ghana – Burkina Faso – Mali will share the inter-zonal hub, among others.
The body succinctly noted that the infrastructure mainly comprises 875km of 330kV double circuit transmission lines from Birnin Kebbi (Nigeria) to Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) through Zabori (Niger) and Gorou Banda (Niger) and from Zabori (Niger) to Malanville (Benin).
Also, TCN stated that there is the 24km 225kV DC transmission lines in Burkina Faso, while the grid would be looped inside Ouagadougou town.
In a statement made available to newsmen, TCN said “Five substations (Zabori and Gorou Banda in Niger, Ouaga East and Ouaga South-East in Burkina Faso, Malanville in Benin) would be executed as part of the project and some additional SCADA and SVC’s.
“In Nigeria, we have 62km transmission line in Niger we have 420km, in Burkina Faso we have 381km and in Benin 12km, totalling 875km of 330kV transmission lines while in Burkina Faso we have 24km of 225kV transmission lines.
“The project also has a rural electrification component to provide electricity to communities along the 330 kV lines, within a radius of 5km, in Burkina Faso and Niger. This will be implemented by their respective utilities, SONABEL and NIGELEC it said.
Delineating on the development, the body emphasized that resettlement action plans had been designed to mitigate specific social impacts in all the participants’ countries, including communities whose lands and livelihood would be affected.
It said “In the same way, the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) of the project has identified adverse environmental, health
and security impacts that are being addressed by specific Environmental and
Social Management Plans (ESMP) in each country” it said.
The organisation noted that procurement had commenced with pre-qualification,
adding that the process would be finalised towards end of this year.
“The works are estimated to last 30 months (2 years and half) and is therefore expected to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2023.
“The total cost of the project sums up to $567.5 million for the regional part, the Federal Government of Nigeria is contributing 0.9 per cent, Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) 6 per cent, African Development Bank 20.5 per cent and the World Bank contributing 72.6 per cent”.
It concluded that: “In addition to these, the European Union is funding the Rural Electrification component of the project. Meanwhile, feasibility studies of this project was funded by NEPAD and IPPF”.
