By Sopuruchi Onwuka

The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has declared its readiness to play a leading role in advancing the economic and industrial aspirations of West African countries, citing the resilience of its assets, strong operational performance, and strategic positioning to support expanding gas markets for producers across the region.

The company’s Managing Director, Mr. Abiodun Abbey Bodurin, made this known while addressing media executives during an interactive session in Lagos, Nigeria. He said WAPCo’s management is aware of the strategic importance of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) to the region’s energy transition, energy access and security, as well as industrial growth agenda.

Mr. Bodurin stated that WAPCo’s strategy is closely aligned with Nigeria’s Decade of Gas (DoG) initiative, which seeks to unlock the country’s vast gas resources to drive industrial development, reduce carbon intensity, and generate sustainable export revenues.

Positioned for Regional Energy Growth

Leading the senior management team on the Lagos visit, Mr. Bodurin said WAPCo has deliberately positioned its infrastructure to respond to the growing energy challenges associated with population growth and rising industrial demand across West Africa.

He disclosed that key sections of the WAGP have been technically modified to enable bidirectional gas flow, allowing the system to accommodate supply from either end of the pipeline. This flexibility, he said, significantly enhances regional energy security and positions WAGP as a resilient, future-ready transmission backbone.

According to him, WAPCo currently deploys an integrated operational approach focused on pipeline availability, sustained uptime, and value optimization for shareholders and stakeholders. This approach, he noted, ensures reliable gas delivery while enhancing the commercial attractiveness of the infrastructure.

He added that the company continues to fulfill its regional mandate through consistent stakeholder engagement and advocacy, ensuring steady gas supply for power generation and industrial consumption across member countries.

The Economic Logic of the WAGP

Oracle Intelligence reports that the WAGP was conceived in 1982 under the framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and later sponsored by the World Bank in 1991. The four participating countries comprising Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana executed a Memorandum of Understanding in 1999 and signed the Project Implementation Agreement in 2003.

On the commercial side, WAPCo is promoted by a consortium of global and regional energy players. Chevron holds a 36.7 percent stake, followed by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited with 25 percent, Shell with 18 percent, and Takoradi Power Company with 16.3 percent. Société Togolaise de Gaz (SOTOGAZ) and Société Beninois de Gaz (SOBEGAZ) each hold 2 percent equity.

Construction of the pipeline commenced in 2003 following the implementation agreement, and the pipeline became operational in 2011.

The pipeline originates at the Itoki Natural Gas Terminal in Ogun State, Nigeria. From Itoki, it passes through Agido near Badagry, traverses 33 Nigerian communities, and terminates at the Lagos Beach Compressor Station (LBCS). From the LBCS, the pipeline runs offshore westward to Takoradi in western Ghana, with delivery laterals supplying gas to Cotonou in Benin, Lomé in Togo, and Tema in Ghana.

The WAGP was designed with a nameplate capacity of 470 million standard cubic feet of gas per day; and spans approximately 678 kilometers, linking Nigerian gas fields to regional markets.

The project remains one of the most ambitious and capital-intensive cross-border infrastructure developments in the region.

Enhancing Flexibility Through System Upgrades

In August 2019, following increased upstream activity in Ghana, WAPCo completed the first phase of the Takoradi–Tema Interconnection Project. This upgrade enabled gas flow reversal on the Takoradi–Tema segment, allowing gas to move eastward from Takoradi to Tema.

The modification was designed to accommodate supplies from Ghana’s Jubilee–Atuabo and Atuabo–Aboadze gas pipelines, which transport gas from the offshore Jubilee field.

According to Mr. Bodurin, this upgrade reinforced WAGP’s operational flexibility and amplified its role as a regional balancing system.

Looking Beyond West Africa

In line with Nigeria’s Gas Revolution agenda, NNPC Limited initiated efforts in late 2017 to expand the WAGP from Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire, targeting new markets for Nigeria’s anticipated growth in non-associated gas production.

Oracle Intelligence reports that the expansion however stalled in the face of the global oil and gas market collapse triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social and economic lockdowns.

With subsequent economic recovery, renewed investor interest in gas as a transition fuel, and heightened focus on energy security; Nigeria has since revived its ambition to pursue broader export opportunities. These ambitions now lay propositions for large-scale transnational pipeline infrastructure, most notably the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline.

Unlike the earlier Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which would have traversed conflict-prone regions, the largely offshore Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline faces fewer political, security, and social risks. In this context, WAGP aligns naturally with the proposed project, effectively extending existing infrastructure and following the route earlier proposed for the defunct Ghana–Côte d’Ivoire expansion.

Mr. Bodurin confirmed that WAPCo is involved in active stakeholder consultations on delivery strategies for the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline, including options for connecting the new project to existing WAGP systems.

He described WAGP’s engineering design, system redundancy, and stable wheeling capacity as clear indicators of asset resilience and readiness to serve as a launch platform for the proposed transcontinental pipeline.

Delivering Value to Nigeria’s Decade of Gas

While emphasizing WAGP’s role as a dependable regional energy asset, Mr. Bodurin said the pipeline creates additional value for gas producers, shippers, and marketers by offering open-access infrastructure across multiple jurisdictions.

He noted that WAPCo’s open-access framework enables multiple suppliers to meet demand across countries and communities, positioning WAGP as a critical conduit for both domestic and export-oriented gas flows.

With discussions on the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline gaining momentum, he said, WAGP offers a credible export route for participants in Nigeria’s Decade of Gas initiatives.

Oracle Intelligence reports that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) recently issued Permits to Access Flare Gas to 28 successful bidders under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Program. In total, 42 companies have been authorized to commercialize approximately 300 MMscfd of gas from 49 flare sites, eliminating an estimated six million ton of CO₂ annually.

Additional fiscal and policy incentives under the Decade of Gas program are expected to boost non-associated gas production, including reinjected gas to be recovered from previously capped wells.

Mr. Bodurin said these volumes will ultimately find market outlets, with WAGP providing a ready evacuation route.

From enabling exports for Nigerian producers to delivering cleaner, affordable energy to users across West Africa and potentially Europe, Mr. Bodurin said WAGP plays a central role in meeting rising energy demand driven by population growth and industrial expansion.

Building Resilience Through Operational Excellence

Mr. Bodurin emphasized that WAPCo’s value proposition extends beyond physical infrastructure. He said the company has deployed world-class operational competence, recording over 13 million man-hours of safe, incident-free operations in 11 years, with an additional one million man-hours achieved in 2025 alone.

He said WAPCo has entered a growth phase after overcoming early project challenges and now holds a long-term view of infrastructure expansion. With significant unutilized capacity, the pipeline is well positioned to deliver higher gas volumes as new producers in Nigeria and Ghana seek export routes.

In its 2025 operational highlights, WAPCo reported 99 percent asset availability and energy delivery of 217,000 MMBtu per day, representing a 22 percent year-on-year increase.

On asset integrity, Mr. Bodurin said WAPCo’s sustainability report confirms that facilities remain in excellent condition, supported by scheduled maintenance programs.

Earlier in the year, the company conducted offshore pigging and robotic inspections to assess internal pipeline integrity, with parts of the work executed by indigenous Nigerian service companies. The pigs introduced at the LBCS were received in Ghana as planned and without glitches.

In the event of incidents, he explained, WAGP’s engineering design, system redundancy, and operational flexibility enables steady supply flow while the company’s dexterous operations and maintenance teams swiftly respond to situations that portend supply disruption.

Mr. Bodurin noted that WAGP’s engineering teams are able to respond swiftly and effectively to stave off downtime.

Outlook and Strategic Direction

Looking ahead to 2026, Mr. Bodurin said WAPCo will continue optimizing available capacity to meet rising demand along the West African economic corridor. With up to 60 percent spare capacity and technical capability to handle volumes of up to 470 MMscfd, the company is well positioned to scale operations.

He added that WAPCo is upgrading its systems to support multiple intake points, bidirectional flows, and expanded offtake locations. However, he stressed that achieving the full growth potential of WAGP requires harmonized fiscal and regulatory frameworks across member countries.

Mr. Bodurin confirmed that ministerial-level discussions on regulatory harmonization are already underway, reflecting shared interest among participating countries in increasing gas throughput.

A veteran of the WAGP programme from conception through construction and into the current growth phase, Mr. Bodurin expressed satisfaction that the founding vision of the project is now being realized.

Oracle Intelligence concludes that with robust capacity, high redundancy, rising commercial viability, and proven operational discipline, WAPCo is not only meeting the economic aspirations of its ECOWAS founders but is also positioning itself as a strategic enabler of Nigeria’s gas export ambitions and Africa’s broader energy transition.