NISO successfully conducts synchronization test connecting all 14 West African countries

By Clement Ezeolisah 

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), in collaboration with the West African Power Pool Information and Coordination Centre (WAPP-ICC), has successfully carried out the long-awaited synchronization test between the Nigerian power grid which includes Niger Republic and parts of Benin and Togo and the rest of the West African power grid.

The test was conducted on Saturday, 8th November 2025, between 05:04 hours and 09:04 hours, and marks a major breakthrough in the ongoing effort to establish a unified West African electricity grid operating at a single frequency.

Following renewed engagements and enhanced coordination between NISO and the WAPP-ICC, the exercise has now been successfully accomplished through improved system monitoring, stricter frequency control, harmonized operational standards, and real-time communication among participating control

In a release signed by NISO Board Chairman and MD/CEO, Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade and Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed respectively, “The synchronization 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 that enhances reliability, stability, and cross-border energy exchange across the ECOWAS region.

“The initiative aims to achieve operational unification of the regional grid, improve system reliability through shared reserves, enable cost-effective power generation and trading under the West African Electricity Market (WAEM), and strengthen institutional cooperation among member system operators.

“For Nigeria, this achievement provides multiple benefits, including unlocking stranded generation capacity, enabling energy exports and foreign exchange earnings, improving grid resilience, and reinforcing the country’s leadership role in regional energy integration. It also opens access to donor funding for priority transmission projects such as the North Core Project in Birnin Kebbi and the Ajegunle 330 kV Substation in Lagos State.

“The successful synchronization marks a historic milestone in regional energy cooperation and demonstrates NISO’stechnical capacity to manage complex grid operations in line with international standards.

“Although several synchronization arrangements had been proposed in the past, the only known physical synchronization attempt took place in 2007 and lasted for about seven minutes before being discontinued.”

This historic synchronization test brought all the countries of West Africa from Mauritania to Nigeria together in the same network for 4 hours and 15 minutes.

The next step is to achieve permanent synchronization by June 2026.