I.A.M - Magazine - Page 52
WIRED FOR
PROGRESS
For Inclusive Electrification
Robust Regional Electricity Market
PROJECT: Nigeria–Niger–Benin–Burkina
Faso Electricity Interconnection
SECTOR: Power
AREA: West Africa
COMMITMENT: UA 112.5 million
In a region where the hum of a generator often drowns out
the silence of blackout, the Nigeria–Niger–Benin–Burkina
Faso Electricity Interconnection Project brings a
long-awaited spark of transformation. Approved in 2017
under the ADF-14 Regional Operations Envelope, this
flagship energy project, also known as the North Backbone Interconnection, boldly expresses the AfDB’s
commitment to regional integration, climate-adaptive
development, and inclusive electrification.
Stretching across 842 kilometers, the project’s centerpiece
is a 330kV double-circuit transmission line connecting
Nigeria’s energy-rich grid to Niger, Benin, Togo, and Burkina
Faso—countries where national electricity access rates
remain below 20%.
With capacity to transmit up to 915 MW by 2035, this
interconnection is a gamechanger. It harnesses Nigeria’s
relatively clean and affordable energy, largely from hydro
and gas sources, to power its neighbors, reduce reliance
on costly and polluting thermal generation, and unlock
economic potential for over 540,000 people across 294
rural communities.
But this is more than a transmission line—it’s a lifeline.
Along its path, the project will electrify localities within a
5-kilometer radius, lighting up clinics, schools, and
marketplaces. It will boost household productivity, lower
electricity tariffs, and make blackouts a relic of the past.
With improved access to power, families can refrigerate
medicines, businesses can extend operating hours, and
children can study long after sunset. With each volt, 68,000
households will directly benefit from new grid connections,
strengthening the region’s economic pulse.
The Bank’s support also empowers institutions. By
strengthening the West African Power Pool (WAPP), a
specialized ECOWAS agency driving energy integration,
the project builds long-term capacity to manage
cross-border energy exchanges and catalyzes the creation
of a robust regional electricity market. Backed by ECOWAS’s energy master plan, this investment targets not just
short-term supply but systemic change.
Collective Action for Collective Gain
At its core, the North Backbone illuminates a path toward
shared prosperity. This regional response to national
challenges generates collective gain through collective
action. As rural communities along the line power up, women
and youth seize emerging opportunities in agri-processing,
digital services, and small-scale enterprises. The transmission
lines don't just connect cities and borders—they also weave
together a more integrated, more resilient West Africa where
energy flows as freely as ambition.
By addressing structural energy deficits, lowering emissions,
and expanding access to clean, affordable electricity, this
project is helping West Africa advance not only toward
universal electrification but also toward an electrified vision
of development, inclusion, and dignity for all.
