Nigeria Restates Support For West African Gas Pipeline Project

The minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo has restated the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government in supporting the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) Project to realise its full potential and objectives.

Ekpo stated this yesterday in his speech at the WAGP Authority Committee of Ministers (COM) meeting in Cotonou, Benin Republic assuring other member countries (Benin, Togo and Ghana) of uninterrupted gas supply from Nigeria to meet their domestic needs, a statement by the minister’s spokesman, Louis Ibah, indicated.

He said the Nigerian government targets strengthening the brotherhood of the West African sub-region and ensuring energy stability through the West African gas pipeline system.

He said at present, Nigeria was pursuing gas as a destination fuel, and therefore working through various initiatives to monetise its abundant natural gas resources.

Ekpo listed some of the initiatives to include the Decade of Gas that would develop and monetise over five billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) of gas for the  domestic and export market; auto gas initiative such as the Presidential CNG programme, and the Nigerian Gas Expansion Programme geared at encouraging the switch from liquid fuel to gas for automobiles and many more.

“The above initiatives will ensure continuous supply of reliable gas to WAGP through the N-Gas Limited that has been the vehicle for commercialising the Eastern gas,” he said.

Ekpo also pledged his support for N-Gas Ltd and other value chain participants, especially Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) to resolve the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) pressure issues.

The Gas Minister said the NGIC is carrying out various projects that would address the ELPS pressure challenge including connecting the gas reach from the eastern region with the western and northern demand regions and installation of midline compressors that would provide a total solution to the pressure challenges.

Ekpo said while efforts are being made to ensure adequate gas supply from Nigeria, it was important to highlight the need for payment performance to both N-Gas and WAPCO to ensure sustainable gas supply.

On the issue of tariff, the minister urged all stakeholders to be pragmatic in the determination of Tariff Period (TP) four and ensure modulation not as disincentive to investment while ensuring WAPCO is made whole for reliable service delivery.