THE Minister of State Petroleum Resources (gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has said that the Nigerian government would address and resolve outstanding issues related to gas supply to Ghana.
Ekpo told Ghanaian President John Mahama when he paid him a courtesy visit on the sidelines of the meeting of the committee of ministers of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP), held in Accra recently, according to a statement on Thursday, May 1.
The minister expressed Nigeria’s committment to maintaining its partnership with Ghana in the gas sector.
“Nigeria’s readiness to address and resolve outstanding issues related to gas supply to Ghana under the WAGP framework,” he assured Mahama.
He, however, urged Mahama to ensure that Ghana’s relevant agencies meet their financial commitments for gas supplies without delay.
He also urged the Ghanaian President to instruct concerned authorities to fast-track the proposed fiscal amendments to the WAGP Act.
Ekpo said the amendments are aimed at adapting to changing operational conditions and preserving regional harmony as outlined in the treaty.
The minister further sought Ghana’s continued backing for the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project, intended to strengthen regional energy security and foster economic cooperation.
Mahama, on his part, assured that his country would remain diligent in fulfilling its financial commitments to the WAGP project.
He also affirmed his country’s support for maintaining regional harmony through the proposed amendments to the WAGP Act.
On February 20, report circulated that N-Gas Limited informed Volta River Authority (VRA), the main generator and supplier of electricity in Ghana, about the suspension of gas supply to the West African country due to unpaid debt.
Ghana’s state-owned electricity companies had, on June 14, 2024, announced an interruption in power supply over reduced gas supply from Nigeria due to maintenance work.
West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo), the owner and operator of the WAGP, has been responsible for transporting gas from Nigeria to Ghana, Benin, and Togo.
The ICIR reported in June 2024 that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) the three-week power outage experienced in the country resulted from Nigeria’s reduction of gas supply to the nation.
At the time, the ECG had lamented that due to a reduction in gas supply from Nigeria, some areas across the country experienced an interruption in power supply.