Perspectives on Regulating a Regional Electricity Market: The ECOWAS Experience

The paper examines the rationale behind the establishment of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) regional electricity market. It discusses the peculiarities and differences within the various domestic electricity markets making up the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and how these impact on the operationalization of the regional market. It also examines the various institutions as well as the legal and regulatory frameworks that have been put in place to ensure that the vision and objectives behind the establishment of the regional market are met.

The paper looks at the role of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) as regional regulator and discusses the various steps that has so far been taken to actualize the development of the regional market and the challenges and lessons learnt by ERERA which will be useful to other regions proposing to set up similar regulatory bodies.

Winner #2 of the 2017 ERRA Regulatory Research Award.