By Fredrick Ameh
Energy ministers and top officials from across West Africa converged in Abuja to advance the strategic development of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP), reinforcing its role in regional energy integration and economic growth.
The high-level Committee of Ministers meeting included representatives from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana, alongside stakeholders from ECOWAS and the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA).
Opening the session, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to expanding the pipeline.
He disclosed that since its inception, the WAGP has delivered over 613 million MMBtu of natural gas, with Nigeria supplying more than 68% of the total volume distributed across the sub-region.
Executive Vice President of Gas, Power & New Energy at NNPCL, Olalekan Ogunleye, highlighted the company’s central role in managing these export commitments.
He revealed that gas throughput reached approximately 80 million MMBtu in 2025, a 22% increase, with active plans to boost pipeline capacity utilization by an additional 45% in 2026.
The meeting concluded with a renewed focus on deepening regional collaboration, expanding infrastructure, and building a commercially viable gas market to ensure energy security across West Africa.