Uche Cecil Izuora
The Republic of Togo has expressed interest in increasing the volume of electricity it currently purchases from Nigeria through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), as part of efforts to meet growing power demand and extend reliable electricity supply to newly connected customers across the country.
The request was made during a strategic meeting between the management of NDPHC and a delegation from the Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo (C.E.E.T), the national electricity utility of the Republic of Togo.
The delegation was led by the Director-General of the organisation, Mr. Débo- K’mba BARANDAO, who paid a visit to NDPHC’s management to strengthen existing collaboration and explore opportunities for expanding cross-border electricity trade.
C.E.E.T, which is headquartered in Lomé, currently purchases about 75 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity from NDPHC on a bilateral basis, a supply arrangement that has helped the West African country maintain stable electricity delivery and support economic activities.
The imported electricity contributes to sustaining quality, reliable and affordable power supply for households, businesses and public institutions in Togo.
During the engagement, the Director-General of C.E.E.T commended NDPHC for the consistency of its electricity supply and the role the partnership has played in improving power reliability within Togo’s electricity network.
He noted that the collaboration has been beneficial to both organisations and has strengthened regional energy cooperation in West Africa.
According to him, the utility company is currently experiencing increasing electricity demand following the onboarding of new customers, including industrial and commercial users, as well as ongoing efforts by the Togolese government to expand access to electricity across the country.
In view of this development, C.E.E.T expressed strong interest in increasing the volume of electricity it off-takes from NDPHC, noting that additional supply would support the country’s power expansion strategy and ensure that newly connected consumers receive stable electricity.
The delegation also highlighted that strengthening energy trade with Nigeria remains an important component of Togo’s broader strategy to secure diversified and dependable power sources for its national grid.
Responding, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDPHC, Engr. Jennifer Adighije, reaffirmed the company’s readiness to deepen collaboration with C.E.E.T and continue supporting electricity exports to neighbouring countries in the West African sub-region.
She explained that NDPHC, which operates several power plants across Nigeria under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), has the capacity to support regional electricity supply and remains committed to promoting energy integration across West Africa.
The NDPHC boss noted that the partnership with C.E.E.T aligns with broader regional efforts aimed at strengthening electricity trade among member countries of the Economic Community of West African States and improving power availability across the sub-region.
While expressing willingness to increase electricity exports to Togo, she emphasised the need for bankable and sustainable commercial arrangements to guide future transactions between the two organisations.
According to her, establishing credible financial guarantees and structured payment mechanisms would help mitigate exposure to payment risks often associated with cross-border electricity supply, thereby ensuring the long-term sustainability of the partnership.
She stressed that a reliable payment framework would not only protect NDPHC’s commercial interests but also enable the company to continue supporting regional energy stability through power exports.
Both parties described the meeting as productive and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the electricity sector. They also agreed to continue engagements aimed at developing workable frameworks that would support increased power supply from Nigeria to Togo.
Industry observers say the move reflects growing efforts by West African countries to deepen regional electricity trade and maximise existing generation capacity within the region to address persistent power shortages.
If implemented, the proposed increase in electricity offtake by C.E.E.T is expected to further strengthen energy cooperation between Nigeria and Togo while contributing to improved electricity access and economic development in the region.