West African ministers, ECOWAS, WAGPA, WAPCo meet in Abuja
The Committee of Ministers overseeing the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) Project met in Abuja on Friday, reaffirming the strategic importance of the pipeline to regional energy integration in West Africa.
The meeting brought together representatives from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana, alongside officials from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (West African Gas Pipeline Authority), and the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited).
Opening the session, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the sustainability and expansion of the pipeline, noting its growing importance to regional energy security.
He disclosed that since its inception, the WAGP has transported over 613 million MMBtu of natural gas, with Nigeria supplying more than 68 per cent of total volumes delivered to Benin, Togo, and Ghana.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Olalekan Ogunleye, highlighted the company’s role in advancing Nigeria’s gas export obligations and strengthening regional energy cooperation.
According to discussions at the meeting, gas throughput reached about 80 million MMBtu in 2025, representing a 22 per cent increase, while plans are underway to boost pipeline capacity utilisation by 45 per cent in 2026.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to deepening regional collaboration aimed at developing a more efficient and commercially viable West African gas market.
