The Minister of Energy, Hon. Boakye Agyarko, on Friday, May 12, 2017, told colleague energy ministers in West African countries connected to the West African Gas Pipeline Project, that operational and financial issues affecting the West African Gas Pipeline Project must be addressed to ensure that the project survives.
Addressing the Committee of Ministers (COM) of the West African Gas Pipeline Project as chairman in Cotonou, Benin, Mr Agyarko noted that, “we need to dedicate ourselves in ensuring that WAPCo survives. We must find common ground in resolving key issues of reliable gas supply and of payment guarantees”.
The meeting, hosted by Benin Minister of Energy, Water and Mines, Dona Jean-Claude Houssou, was to follow up on action points from the previous meeting held in Accra in 2016, and to provide feedback on WAGP’s operational and financial issues, as well as tariff issues, and to finalize the Western Interconnection Agreement.
It brought together senior government officials from Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, as well as key stakeholders such as West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA), and the West African Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo).
Representative of the Nigerian Minister of State in charge of Petroleum Resources, Engr. Saidu A. Mohammed, affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the project. He noted that the Nigerian Government is working around the clock to ramp-up gas supply from around the 40 MMS CFD to 70 MMS CFD before close of 2017.
According to him, the “Nigerian government is making headway in resolving militancy activities that vandalize onshore gas pipeline” which leads to cuts in gas supply to other member states.
The COM re-affirmed its commitment to the project, and tasked WAPCo to look into expanding its business model. Other dignitaries present were representatives from ECOWAS, Ghana’s Ministry of Energy, N-Gas, WAGPA and WAPCo.
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