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The West African Power Pool (WAPP) has secured loans totalling $111 million from the World Bank, European Investment Bank and French Development Bank Agency to interconnect electricity for Ghana and Burkina Faso. Addressing WAPP 7th General Assembly in Abuja last week, Amaduo Diallo, the Secretary General of the organisation, said the money was meant for the funding of the interconnection project for Bolgatanga (Ghana) and Quagadougou (Burkina Faso). �The loans were secured from the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the French Development Bank Agency,� Diallo confirmed. Diallo added that 323 million Euros was also mobilised this year by WAPP for the funding of interconnection projects for Cote d�Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (CLSG). According to him, the main objective of WAPP is the preparation for a regional electricity market, which will soon be adopted by member countries. Diallo said that although violence and political instability in some WAPP countries, as well as the effect of the global financial crisis, has adversely affected the organisation, still, `it has made some useful achievements.�� He listed some of the achievements to include emergency electricity supply programmes in Bissau, Conakry, Banjul and Bamako, made possible through ECOWAS assistance. The WAPP scribe listed the projects completed by the organisation this year as the 225KV in Cote d�Ivoire, and Mali. He also listed those nearing completion to include the 161 KV Aboadze-Kumasi-Han and the Tumu-Wa, projects in Ghana and the interconnection of the 33KV of Volta (Ghana) to Togo and Sakete in Benin Republic. Earlier, Dr Dere Awosika, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, who represented Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, the Minister for State Power boasted that one of the achievements of the Federal Government, was the interconnection between Nigeria and Niger. She also indicated that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan began the construction of the second 330KV interconnection between Nigeria and Benin in order to ensure adequate power supply in the country. Kuchi added that Nigeria was partnering with Niger, Benin, Togo and Burkina Faso to construct a 330KV electricity interconnection to ensure stable electricity in these countries. The minister also explained that Nigeria has constructed many electricity projects such as the renewable energy in Katsina State and a concession of hydro electricity power stations in Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro for reliable power. Dr Joseph Makoju, the outgoing Chairman of WAPP, said WAPP had mobilised 60 billion Euros for the construction of the WAPP Information and Coordination Centre which would serve as the hub of an emerging electricity market. He said the organisation has transformed the ECOWAS Observatory Committee into a vibrant international body by developing an administrative and financial framework for a managing power pool. Makoju expressed gratitude to the assembly for the support given to him during his tenure and urged it to support whoever succeeded him.