Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Stories

Nigeria links national grid to West African power network

As of May 2026: Political sponsor of the regional power market

At 5:04 a.m. on November 8, 2025, electricity began flowing across the Nigeria–Niger border at the same frequency as the rest of West Africa's grid. It held that way for four hours. The last time engineers tried this, in 2007, the link collapsed after seven minutes.

Updated May 24

The Sahel's diplomatic break from the West

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Weakened by loss of three members covering 48% of Sahel territory

Three West African nations ruled by military juntas just banned Americans from entering their countries. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger (the Alliance of Sahel States) announced reciprocal travel restrictions on January 5, directly mirroring Trump's December expansion of the U.S. travel ban.

Updated May 19