West African countries are expanding regional electricity cooperation, with more than 4,000 kilometres of high-voltage transmission lines now connecting the power grids of 15 nations.

The World Bank said the development is strengthening cross-border electricity trading and helping countries with power shortages access cheaper electricity from neighbouring markets with surplus generation.

Regional electricity trade currently accounts for about eight per cent of the power generated across West Africa, bringing the region closer to the 10–12 per cent level recorded in the European Union.

The World Bank said the expansion of transmission infrastructure between 2019 and 2025 also helped more than three million people in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and The Gambia gain access to electricity services.

The regional grid has become increasingly important as countries continue to face inadequate electricity supply, high generation costs and financially weak power utilities.

According to the World Bank, some West African countries previously had excess electricity but could not export it to neighbouring countries because of inadequate transmission infrastructure and limited regional trading arrangements.

New interconnectors have helped address the challenge by linking national grids across borders.

Major projects include the Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone-Guinea transmission line, the Guinea-Guinea-Bissau-The Gambia-Senegal transmission network and the Senegal-Mali interconnector.

The World Bank said these connections have enabled countries with access to cheaper generation sources, particularly hydropower, to supply electricity to neighbouring nations and reduce their dependence on costly fuel-based power generation.

Guinea-Bissau, for example, has seen its electricity generation costs fall from approximately 25 US cents per kilowatt-hour to 11 US cents after gaining access to the regional transmission network.

The Gambia has also recorded about 42 per cent savings in electricity costs, helping its national utility, NAWEC, return to profitability.

Liberia and Sierra Leone have benefited from electricity imports from Côte d’Ivoire, with the regional supply helping to cut their generation costs by between 10 and 20 per cent.

The initiative has also supported the development of a regional electricity market through the West African Power Pool and the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority.

In late 2025, regulators approved tariffs for the region’s new Day-Ahead Market, which is designed to allow electricity companies to purchase power ahead of time at more competitive prices.

The World Bank said the West African Power Pool also completed its first grid-synchronisation trial, recording continuous electricity flows across 12 countries.

The Day-Ahead Market is expected to reduce the reliance of utilities on expensive emergency power generation during periods of electricity shortages.

The regional transmission programme has also created more than 52,000 direct and indirect jobs in engineering, construction, logistics, project management, as well as operations and maintenance.

The World Bank said additional interconnector projects were being prepared to further increase electricity access and strengthen cross-border power trading.

The continued expansion of the regional grid is expected to improve the reliability and affordability of electricity while supporting economic activity and moving West Africa towards a more integrated power market.