Oscarline Onwuemenyi
25 May 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The West Africa Power Pool, a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the African Development Bank has signed a grant agreement worth US $1,992,721 to support the Nigeria-Benin Interconnector Reinforcement Project.
The grant will help the construction of a 330 kV double circuit high voltage transmission line from Erukan (Nigeria) to Sakete (Benin) and help meet the needs of the ECOWAS region in supplying reliable electricity supply at affordable cost.
A statement made available to our correspondent by the group noted that AfDB Acting Vice-President, Operations, in charge of Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration, Stefan Nalletamby, signed for the Bank Group, while Secretary General, Siengui A. Ki signed for WAPP, on the sidelines of the AfDB Annual Meetings in Lusaka.
The Project, a WAPP key priority, will ensure stable integration of the national electricity networks in the ECOWAS Region and facilitate the accessibility to economic energy resources to all member states of the region.
Speaking at the signing event, AfDB Acting Vice-President Stefan Nalletamby said: “Energy is one of the essential requirements for Africa’s development and a key pillar of the Bank’s High 5s vision. The project will allow inclusive economic growth needed to transform the lives and livelihoods of many in the West African region.”
The realisation of the 330 kV WAPP Nigeria–Benin Project will facilitate optimal power exchanges and trading between the Member States. It seeks to establish a robust transmission link from Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria passing through Prestea, Aboadze, Volta in Ghana, Lomé in Togo, and Sakete in Benin.
“The project will definitely advance WAPP’s goal to establish more secure, reliable transmission corridors for power exchange and help catalyse the development of energy resources, and the transfer of low-cost energy supply,” WAPP Secretary General said.
“The increased volumes of power derived from the project, will boost the region’s economies and contribute to poverty reduction efforts,” he added.
The project, which would be executed in Nigeria and Benin shall result in the following, among others, construction of approximately 200 km of 330 kV high voltage transmission line; extension of/or the construction of a new 330 kV high voltage substation in Erunkan (Nigeria) extension of/or the construction of a new 330 kV high voltage substation in Sakete (Benin) or environ; and installation of SCADA and Fibre Optic systems;
The Feasibility Study for the Nigeria-Benin Interconnector Reinforcement Project was carried out by NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility, NEPAD-IPPF.
NEPAD-IPPF is a multi-donor Special Fund hosted by the AfDB, which supports African countries to prepare regional infrastructure projects in energy, transport, ICT and transboundary water.
It is currently supported by a number of Donors who include, Canada, Germany, UK, Spain, Norway and Denmark. Over its ten year existence since 2005, NEPAD-IPPF has prepared over 60 regional infrastructure projects, half of which have reached financial closure resulting in investment financing of over US6 billion, thus, responding directly to Africa’s integration and development efforts.
