Wereko-Brobbey calls for integration of West African Power

Dr Charles Wereko-Brobbey, Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority, has called for the immediate integration of power infrastructure in the West Africa sub-region to enhance electricity supply within the shortest possible time.

Opening a two-day meeting of the Institutional and Technical Working Groups of the proposed ECOWAS sponsored West African Power Pool (WAPP), the VRA boss said this would promote energy security and improve prospects for relatively cheaper source of power for the countries in the region.

The foundations for the Pool, which was established about 30 years ago with the interconnection among Ghana, Benin and Togo, has crumbled because of the lack of sustained maintenance and a weakening commitment to build on it for the economic and social development of the region.

The meeting is to identify and adopt prioritised projects whose implementation would facilitate the optimum realisation and operation of WAPP and agree on a timetable to implement them.

Dr Wereko-Brobbey told the about 100 delegates and development partners attending the meeting that they should regard the problems they encountered in the past as opportunities to strengthen out utility ties.

"The tendency has been to withdraw into our won little boundaries in the mistaken belief that we can isolate, resolve and sustain our national power needs. "That we cannot, is embodied in the creation of ECOWAS to promote the integrated and cohesive development of the economies of our countries," he added.

He urged ECOWAS members to build on the 30 years of interconnections that has extended to Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso through a multitrack approach to meet the current demands for power in the sub-region.

Ms Marie Fran?oise Nelly, of the World Bank who was also present at the meeting said about 600 million dollars has been earmarked for the Pool out of which 200 million dollars is immediately available for sourcing. She also pledged the Bank's support for the national power reform programme.