The upcoming MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference and exhibition, to be held in Dakar from December 8th to 10th, will host a high-level panel discussion on the North West African power market: Overcoming economic and regulatory hurdles. This session will showcase new investment opportunities across the region’s electricity markets, creating strategic forays for global financiers and technology providers, against the backdrop of the rapidly developing West African electricity landscape that is evolving.
The panel discussion will feature speakers from Petrosen of Senegal, Gambia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries, and Gambia’s National Water and Electricity Company. This level of participation reflects a broader regional drive to strengthen West Africa’s electricity systems, creating new opportunities for regional cooperation and investment.
Explore opportunities, foster partnerships and remain at the forefront of the oil, gas and power sector in the MSGBC region. To secure your participation in the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference, please visit www.msgbcoilgasandpower.com. To become a sponsor or participate as a representative, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.
This session comes at a critical time for the region’s electricity markets, as advances in power generation, transmission, and distribution reshape power dynamics. In November 2025, the West African Power Pool (WAPP) achieved a milestone with its first full regional grid synchronization trial supported by equipment manufacturing and services company GE Vernova’s GridOS platform. The test confirmed that national transmission system operators can reliably operate under WAPP’s Information and Coordination Center, paving the way for full and permanent synchronization in 2026. This development is a major step towards opening a unified regional electricity market.
Following the success of the trial, Nigeria announced its intention to begin exporting electricity to up to 15 West African countries by mid-2026, aiming to generate an additional $1 billion in annual revenue. The move aims to take advantage of rising power prices in the region and deepen cross-border power flows while reducing domestic subsidy pressures.
Regulatory alignment momentum continued in November, with the African Union Commission and the Economic Community of West African States advancing institutional preparations for the African Single Electricity Market. The initiative aims to harmonize the regulatory framework that currently restricts electricity trade on the continent and support a more integrated and competitive market structure.
Meanwhile, The Gambia is accelerating the country’s electricity reform. The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy is preparing to present new investment opportunities at the MSGBC 2025 conference following the announcement of the National Energy Compact in September 2025. The country is moving to competitive bidding for future energy projects and aims to reach 90% electrification by the end of the year, supported by regional interconnection projects through OMVG and participation in the WAPP initiative.
In Senegal, state-owned Petrosen Holding continues to expand its role in the region’s energy sector. Beyond its involvement in major upstream projects such as the Sangomar and Greater Tawthu Ahmeim LNG developments, the company is driving downstream industrialization, including a planned gas-fed urea plant, with the aim of diversifying national revenues and strengthening energy security.
Despite this progress, significant challenges remain. Transmission infrastructure remains insufficient to fully open regional power pools, and clear frameworks for private sector participation in cross-border grid projects remain limited. Weak national electricity grids, reluctance toward multilateral agreements, and investment deficits continue to delay full market integration. The next MSGBC conference will address these challenges by highlighting regional integration, regulatory evolution, and market reforms across the region’s power sector.
“Regional power integration is moving faster than ever before, and this session will bring together the leaders shaping that transformation. Their insights will be critical to investors looking to navigate new regulatory frameworks and capitalize on new opportunities across North West Africa’s electricity markets,” said Sandra Jeke, Events and Projects Director at Energy Capital & Power.
