Published: February 4, 2026
LOMÉ, Togo — In neighborhoods across Monrovia, the rhythm of daily life still bends to the hum of private generators and the dim glow of candles.
Shop owners plan business hours around blackouts. Students time their reading to the return of light. For many Liberians, reliable electricity remains a luxury in a country struggling to meet rising demand nearly two decades after the civil war ended.
That persistent gap between need and supply framed regional conversations last month as the West African Power Pool held its 20th General Assembly in Lomé, Togo, bringing together senior energy officials from across the region. The meeting, hosted at Hôtel 2 Février on January 24, focused on accelerating integration of the regional electricity market, stabilizing national grids and moving toward a fully synchronized West African power system.
For Liberia, which remains one of the region’s most power-constrained countries, the stakes are high. Limited generation capacity, aging transmission lines and the high cost of diesel-fired power continue to weigh on households and businesses, slowing growth and undermining service delivery in health care, education and manufacturing.
Togo’s government used the gathering to press for deeper cooperation.
In opening remarks delivered on behalf of Mines and Energy Minister Robert Koffi Messan Eklo of Togo, a call for solidarity and shared responsibility to strengthen regional economic integration through power trade was made louder.
WAPP Secretary General Abdoulaye Dia and Executive Board Chairman Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz echoed that message, urging members to move faster from plans to performance.
Participants described Phase 2 of the Regional Electricity Market as an “imminent reality,” stressing the need for strict contractual discipline, transparent pricing and credible dispute-resolution mechanisms.
Delegates also called for the selection of a clearing bank to manage cross-border transactions and for harmonized regulations to ensure power traded across borders is reliable and affordable. Those technical decisions matter for countries like Liberia, where domestic supply remains fragile.
The ability to import power from neighbors like Ivory Coast during peak demand or dry seasons could cushion shortages and lower costs, energy experts say, provided transmission links and payment systems function smoothly.
WAPP leaders highlighted a recent milestone: a successful four-hour synchronization test of all West African national grids, with a target of permanent synchronization by June 2026. If achieved, it would mark a major step toward a true regional power market, allowing electricity to flow more freely from surplus areas to deficit countries.
The assembly also welcomed four new members, including Nigeria’s Independent System Operator, Mauritania’s SOMELEC, Burkina Faso-based Mark Cables and OSL. Nigeria’s system operator said its admission would strengthen regional grid coordination and system planning, critical for managing the volatility that often leads to outages across the region.
Financing remains a central hurdle. The African Development Bank has backed key interconnector projects, including the Nigeria-Benin line, which bank officials say are essential for inclusive growth and for transforming livelihoods through expanded access to electricity. Similar cross-border links are expected to be vital for smaller markets such as Liberia, which cannot yet generate enough power to meet domestic demand.
Back home, Liberia’s power utility continues to grapple with technical losses, limited coverage beyond Monrovia and chronic funding gaps. While regional integration offers hope, energy analysts caution that imports alone will not solve the problem.
Investments in local generation, grid rehabilitation and customer metering are needed to ensure that power reaching the country actually reaches homes and businesses. For street vendors and small manufacturers in Monrovia, the promise of a synchronized regional grid feels distant.
But the Lomé assembly underscored a growing consensus: West Africa’s power problems are shared, and so must be the solutions. Whether that regional momentum can translate into steady light for Liberian households by 2026 remains the test.
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