The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) is stepping up efforts to align regulatory processes and deepen regional gas integration across West Africa, as key players in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry met in Abuja to review reforms, digital transformation and cross-border cooperation.
 
The high-level forum brought together senior officials from federal and state agencies, traditional rulers and security institutions. Discussions focused on modernising operations, strengthening legislation and improving the ease of doing business along the pipeline corridor.
 
WAPCo operates the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) system, a 691-kilometre network transporting gas from Nigeria to Benin, Togo and Ghana. Initiated by ECOWAS in 1982 and formalised by a 2003 treaty, the project remains one of Africa’s largest regional energy ventures.

General Counsel of WAPCo, Odey Simon Adamade, said the project’s foundations are rooted in the region’s decades-old push for economic integration through shared energy infrastructure.
 
“The WAGP system is one of Africa’s most ambitious cross-border energy projects, comprising 691 kilometers of pipeline infrastructure, stretching from Nigeria to Ghana,” Adamade said.
 
He described the forum as a “comprehensive, cross-functional engagement” that unites government agencies, private operators, traditional institutions and security bodies to support WAPCo’s mission.
 
“These discussions reflect the commitment of all parties to the shared vision of synergy and integration envisioned by WAPCo’s establishment,” he added.
 
Participants included representatives of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Federal Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Environment, the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), the Nigerian Navy and others.
 
Stakeholders commended WAPCo’s consistent engagement with regulators and local communities, describing it as crucial for smooth cross-border operations. The company reaffirmed that its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes remain central to its partnerships with host communities.