Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has been elected chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP).
The 678-kilometer pipeline transports natural gas from Nigeria to Benin, Togo, and Ghana, and is operated by the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo).
Ekpo’s election took place at the just-concluded Meeting of the Committee of Ministers of WAGP in Accra, Ghana, and his tenure is for one year in line with the provisions of the WAGP Treaty.
Member countries represented at the meeting included Benin Republic, Togo, and Ghana, all shareholders in the West African Gas Pipeline Project.
Upon his election, Ekpo expressed gratitude to his colleagues for entrusting him with the leadership role. He pledged to prioritise uninterrupted gas supplies to member nations and customers, ensure project profitability for shareholders, and foster unity within the bloc.
Ekpo also assured them of his commitment to upholding the treaty’s essence that established the group.
After his election and while still in Ghana, Ekpo paid a courtesy visit to the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama.
During the engagement, Ekpo reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to sustaining continued collaboration with the Government of Ghana in the gas sector. He further assured the Ghanaian leader of Nigeria’s readiness to address and resolve outstanding issues related to gas supply to Ghana under the WAGP framework.
He also called on the Ghanaian leader to ensure that relevant agencies are prompt in their financial obligations for gas supplied.
He appealed to President Mahama to direct the relevant Ghanaian authorities to take expedited action on the proposed fiscal amendments to the WAGP Act, to align with evolving operational realities and maintain regional harmony as enshrined in the Treaty.
The Nigerian Gas Minister solicited Ghana’s continued support for the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project, a strategic initiative aimed at deepening regional energy security and economic cooperation.
In his response, President Mahama thanked Ekpo for his visit and assured that Ghana would always fulfill its financial obligations to the West African Gas Pipeline project. Mahama promised his country’s support to maintain regional harmony enshrined in the proposed fiscal amendments to the WAGP Act.
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