The Federal Government is projecting nearly $1 billion (about N1.49 trillion) in annual revenue from electricity exports to 15 West African countries under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) starting June 2026.
The forecast is based on Nigeria’s full export capacity of 600 megawatts at prevailing regional tariffs, following a successful grid synchronisation exercise earlier this month. The exercise connected Nigeria’s national electricity grid with the West African Power Pool (WAPP) system, spanning Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Benin, and Togo.
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, announced on Wednesday in Abuja that the synchronisation test, conducted on November 8, 2025, ran seamlessly for four hours, operating at a single stable frequency across borders. He described it as the first time Nigeria has achieved a fully harmonised configuration with the regional grid.
“The benefits of synchronisation with other WAPP countries will extend directly to the Nigerian people. A more stable grid improves essential services such as hospitals, water supply, transport systems, digital infrastructure, and public institutions,” Adelabu said.
According to Edmund Eje, Executive Director of Market Operations at the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Nigeria currently allocates 600MW daily for bilateral power trade. With regional tariffs averaging $0.19 per kilowatt-hour, full utilisation of this capacity could generate roughly $998.6 million annually.
The government stressed that electricity exports will not compromise domestic supply. Transmission expansion projects including the North-Core line, Ajegunle 330kV Substation, and Kaduna–Kano upgrades are expected to further stabilise supply and support cross-border trade. Nigeria’s transmission wheeling capacity has now risen to 8,500MW, though actual generation currently averages around 5,000MW.
NISO officials highlighted significant technical progress. Nafisatu Ali, NISO’s Executive Director for Systems Operation, said 60 per cent of Nigeria’s power plants have adopted free governor control (FGC), a system enabling generators to automatically adjust output in response to grid fluctuations. “This advancement ensures automatic responses to disturbances, maintaining stability and strengthening investor confidence,” she said.
The government aims to achieve permanent grid synchronisation by June 2026, with a second 48-hour test planned. Officials say the new revenue stream could help alleviate liquidity shortfalls in the power sector and accelerate regional energy market integration.
