Nigeria has assured countries in the West African region that it was fully committed to the delivery of the West African Gas Pipeline, WAGP, Project.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo who gave the assurance at the WAGP Authority Committee of Ministers meeting in Cotonou, Benin Republic, said Nigeria was ready to provide uninterrupted gas supply to meet their domestic needs.
Other countries involved in the project are Benin, Togo and Ghana.
Ekpo in a statement by his media aide, Louis Ibah in Abuja, said Nigeria was committed to promote economic growth and end energy poverty in the region through the gas pipeline project.
The Minister explained that Nigeria was pursuing gas as a destination fuel, and therefore working through various initiatives to monitize its abundant natural gas resources.
He listed some of the initiatives to include the Decade of Gas that would develop and monitize 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.
According to him, “The above initiatives will ensure continuous supply of reliable gas to WAGP through the N-Gas Limited that has been the vehicle for commercializing the Eastern gas”.
He 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.
Speaking on the issue of tariff, he urged all stakeholders to be pragmatic in the determination of Tariff Period (TP) 4 and ensure modulation not as disincentive to investment while ensuring WAPCO is made whole for reliable service delivery.
Source: Vanguardngr
