With over 10 years of consistent commercial operations, the Managing Director, West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPGCo), Michelle Burkett, has described the company as an example of successful Public Private Participation (PPP) initiative in West Africa.
Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday, Burkett said with over 11 million workforce hours without a recordable accident, transporting gas from Nigeria to Benin, Togo and Ghana through 678 pipelines, Africans should be proud of the company.
WAPCo is owned by Chevron West African Gas Pipeline Ltd (36.9%); Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (24.9%); Shell Overseas Holdings Limited (17.9%); and Takoradi Power Company Limited (16.3%), ‘Société Togolaise de Gaz’ (2%) and ‘Société BenGaz S.A. (2%).
She noted that in order to ensure steady supply of gas in 2019 WAGP was expanded with interconnection to Ghana gas pipeline system, allowing for gas from western Ghana to be supplied into WAGP.The project, she said, was commissioned in 2020.
She regretted that though WAGPCo has available capacity of 450,000scf/d, gas infrastructural challenges in Nigeria has hindered full utilization of its potential, despite the huge appetite for gas in the region.
“Facilities of the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo), are available to transport gas on behalf of its customers. However, there are some challenges with supply from Nigeria resulting in the shortfall currently experienced by offtakers”, she stated
WAGPCo’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Dr. Isaac Adjei Doku noted that WAPCo looks forward to the speedy resolution of the supply issues between its customers and their gas suppliers in Nigeria and stands ready to transport contract volumes as required.
“WAPCo is an international company transporting Natural Gas in Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana in a safe, responsible and reliable manner to create value for our diverse stakeholders. We place the highest priority on the health and safety of people and protection of our assets and the environment.
Adjei explained that there is currently a supply gap due to infrastructural challenges in Nigeria.
“There is a mismatch between the demand and supplies. This requires huge financial investment. Ghana needs more gas including Togo. What we have is an infrastructure issue.
There’s a real appetite for gas in Togo, Benin and Ghana. The market is there”, he stated
On corporate social responsibility, Adjei said WAPCo engages in corporate social investments through partnership with host communities and provides community development projects, and livelihood programmes.
“WAPCo’s host communities are defined as those located within a two-kilometer radius of our on-shore facilities. We have a total of 54 host communities. We have 7 communities in Ghana, 1 in Togo, 13 in Benin and 33 in Nigeria. We initiated annual medical outreaches, investment in communities education infrastructure, screening for chronic health conditions, over 5,000 persons reached each year”, he said
He noted that WAGPCo also initiated livelihood support programs, skill acquisition and scholarships with over 1,500 benefited. WAGPCo also has partnerships with some Nigerian universities”, he stated
