They also called for more oppor­tunities to enhance the capacity of regional institutions like the system market operator of the regional electricity market and ERERA, to oversee and coordinate electricity trade activities.

These institutions should be empowered to enforce compliance and resolve disputes.

The call was in a resolution pre­sented to the forum after two days of deliberations and adoption of measures, towards the operation of common electricity market among member states.

The event was under the theme, “Electricity trade security in the ECOWAS Region: The interplay between national policies and free market principles.”

It focused on the following sub-themes, Free Market Principles and Electricity Trade, challenges and opportunities in the regional electricity trade national Policies versus Regional Competitive Market: Practices in the ECOWAS Region, Technological Innovations and Infrastructure Development for Enhanced Energy Security.

The participants shared opinions on the relevance of free market principles to electricity trade, particularly the benefits and risks of implementing these principles in the ECOWAS region and the regu­latory frameworks of the Regional Electricity Market.

They also discussed how to ensure the security of electricity supply in a liberalised market by ex­amining the impact of cross-border electricity trade on national security and the role of regional coopera­tion in enhancing overall electricity supply security.

The participants urged for the prioritising of transmission and distribution infrastructure invest­ments to create a reliable and in­terconnected electricity grid across the ECOWAS region, which should involve both upgrading existing infrastructure and developing new projects.

They called for the gradual im­plemention of a phased approach to market liberalisation, by ensuring that necessary regulatory and in­stitutional frameworks are in place before fully opening markets with pilot programmes and incremental reforms to help manage the transi­tion smoothly.

The participants urged for the development of regional strategies to ensure energy security, including diversification of energy sources, establishment of strategic reserves, and regional cooperation on emer­gency response mechanisms.

They noted that the encourage­ment and development of finan­cial instruments and incentives to attract investment in the electricity sector would be an added advan­tage which must include exploring opportunities for blended finance, leveraging both public and private sector funding.

The participants advocated the effective implemention of these recommendations, so that ECOW­AS member states could enhance electricity trade security, promote economic growth, and improve access to reliable and affordable electricity across the region.

The forum was attended by reg­ulators, operators and government representatives from ECOWAS countries including Benin, Cape Verde, Coted’Ivoire,The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau,Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo with represen­tatives from Mauritania and Algeria

Others participants were the West Africa Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA), the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), the OMVG, the OMVS, TransCo CLSG, CEB, the GIZ, USAID, AFD and other development partners.