Power
Guinea urges regional power integration at West African assembly
Guinea has called on neighbouring nations to abandon isolationist energy policies and strengthen cross-border electricity cooperation.
Key points
- Guinea's Prime Minister urged regional energy collaboration during the Conakry summit.
- The second phase of the regional electricity market is scheduled to launch in early 2027.
- Seventeen transmission operators signed an inter-grid agreement to streamline cross-border trade.
Delegates from across the region gathered in the capital of Guinea for the recent high-level sectoral meeting. Representing his government, the Prime Minister urged participating nations to move past national boundaries in their approach to electrical infrastructure. According to Voice of Nigeria, he stressed that robust interconnection is vital for economic competitiveness and overall stability.
Energy officials discussed ongoing efforts to harmonise cross-border networks. The Secretary General of the bloc noted that member states successfully linked their transmission grids for a brief period in late 2025, with a much longer endurance test planned for late 2026. Furthermore, 17 transmission system operators formalised their commitment by signing an inter-grid operations pact designed to streamline regional trade.
The head of the executive board for the power pool revealed that the upcoming period will bring significant structural shifts. The next stage of the regional market will introduce a day-ahead trading platform. This mechanism will allow market forces to determine cross-border pricing transparently. Additionally, institutional changes will establish independent system operators to manage network operations separately from commercial trading.
Local leaders also underscored the importance of national infrastructure. Guinea's energy minister pointed out that generation assets must be matched by robust distribution and transmission pathways to reach end users effectively. Officials highlighted existing hydropower sites like Kaleta and Souapiti alongside upcoming developments such as Koukoutamba, Sambangalou and Amaria.
Why it matters
Integration of cross-border grids offers a vital pathway to improve reliability across West Africa. World Bank figures from 2024 show that Nigeria records an electricity access rate of 62.5 per cent, alongside a modest per capita consumption of 140.6 kilowatt-hours. Meanwhile, Guinea reports an electricity access rate of 53.8 per cent, though its generation relies heavily on renewables, reaching 88.1 per cent in 2021 compared to Nigeria's 22 per cent. Establishing a transparent day-ahead market by early 2027 could allow nations with high renewable generation capacity to export surplus power to deficit areas. For investors and policymakers, this evolving regional market creates new opportunities for cross-border infrastructure financing and regional energy security, helping to address chronic supply shortages that hinder industrial growth.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Grids decide whether generation becomes power that homes and businesses can rely on. Generation mix, transmission and distribution losses, and tariffs together shape reliability and the case for investment.
53.8% of people in Guinea had electricity in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
