Bisola David
The federal government led by President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed its commitment to helping the West African Gas Pipeline Project achieve its goals and reach its full potential, according to Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
The Punch reported that Ekpo said this in his speech at the WAGP Authority Committee of Ministers meeting in Cotonou, Benin Republic, according to a statement signed by the Spokesman for the Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Louis Ibah.
He assured other members (Benin, Togo, and Ghana) of an uninterrupted supply of gas from Nigeria to meet their domestic needs.
According to him, the goals of the Nigerian government are to secure energy stability through the West African gas pipeline system and to fortify the fraternity within the West African sub-region.
According to him, Nigeria is currently pursuing gas as a destination fuel and is, therefore, implementing a number of steps to generate revenue from its plentiful natural gas resources.
Ekpo listed a number of initiatives, among them the development and commercialization of more than five billion cubic feet of gas per day for both the domestic and export markets; autogas initiatives like the Nigerian Gas Expansion Programme, which aims to encourage the conversion of automobiles from liquid fuel to gas; and many others.
“By using N-Gas Limited, which has been the means of commercializing Eastern gas, the aforementioned initiatives will guarantee the uninterrupted supply of dependable gas to WAGP,” the speaker stated.
In addition, Ekpo promised to assist N-Gas Ltd. and other players in the value chain, particularly Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company, in resolving the pressure problems with the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System.
According to the Gas Minister, the NGIC is working on a number of projects to address the pressure issue with ELPS. These projects include installing midline compressors to provide a comprehensive solution to the pressure issues and connecting the eastern region’s gas reach with the western and northern demand regions.
Ekpo stated, “It was important to highlight the need for payment performance to both N-Gas and WAPCO to ensure sustainable gas supply, even though efforts are being made to ensure adequate gas supply from Nigeria
