High demand and generation failures behind power instability in West Africa — WAPP

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) has acknowledged ongoing electricity supply challenges affecting several member countries across the region.

The situation has resulted in load-shedding programmes in parts of national electricity grids as utilities attempt to stabilise supply.

In a statement, the ECOWAS body noted that the disruptions are being driven by a combination of high demand, generation outages and seasonal hydropower constraints.

“For the past several days, a number of member countries of the West African Power Pool have been experiencing significant electricity supply constraints, which have led to the implementation of load-shedding programmes in certain areas of the national grids,” the statement read in part.

WAPP explained that the challenges are affecting multiple power systems simultaneously, placing pressure on regional electricity stability.

According to the organisation, transmission system operators and utilities have introduced emergency operational measures to limit the impact on households and economic activity.

“Against this backdrop, the Transmission System Operators and the electricity utilities of the countries concerned have implemented exceptional operating measures in order to preserve the stability of the power systems and to limit the impact of the disruptions on the population and on economic activities,” it stated.

The body noted that its Information and Coordination Centre is working with national stakeholders to monitor regional electricity exchanges and maintain grid stability.

Despite the current constraints, WAPP said cross-border electricity transfers continue to play a critical role in reducing supply gaps across member states.

It added that regional interconnections have helped cushion the impact of shortages in some countries by enabling mutual support through shared electricity resources.

A peak regional demand exceeding 16,000 megawatts has reportedly been recorded across the interconnected grid, underscoring rising consumption pressures.

WAPP stressed the need for accelerated investment in generation, transmission and interconnection infrastructure to strengthen long-term energy security in West Africa.