The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), in collaboration with the West African Power Pool Information and Coordination Centre (WAPP-ICC), has successfully completed the synchronization of the Nigerian power grid including Niger Republic and parts of Benin and Togo with the broader West African electricity network.
According to a statement released on NISO’s official handle and signed by its Board Chairman, Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade (OON), the test was conducted on Saturday, November 8, 2025, between 05:04 a.m. and 09:04 a.m., marking a significant milestone toward establishing a unified regional grid operating at a single frequency.
While several synchronization attempts had been proposed in the past, the only previous physical test in 2007 lasted just seven minutes before being discontinued. Renewed collaboration between NISO and WAPP-ICC, however, has now made full synchronization possible through enhanced system monitoring, tighter frequency control, harmonized operational standards, and real-time communication across participating control centres.
The newly integrated network connects Area 1 (Nigeria, Niger, and parts of Benin and Togo) with Areas 2 and 3 (the rest of West Africa), creating a single operational grid designed to boost reliability, enhance stability, and facilitate cross-border electricity trade across the ECOWAS subregion.
The initiative aims to achieve operational unification of the regional grid, improve reliability through shared reserves, enable cost-effective power generation and trading under the West African Electricity Market (WAEM), and foster deeper institutional cooperation among member states.
For Nigeria, the achievement is expected to unlock stranded generation capacity, support energy exports and foreign exchange earnings, improve grid resilience, and reinforce the country’s leadership in regional energy integration. It also strengthens access to international donor funding for key transmission projects, including the North Core Project in Birnin Kebbi and the Ajegunle 330 kV Substation in Lagos State.
