By Joy Baba-Yesufu
The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has announced a temporary halt of natural gas supply from Nigeria to Ghana, Benin, and Togo as it embarks on critical pipeline maintenance activities scheduled from February 5 to March 2, 2025.
In an official statement, WAPCo detailed that this essential maintenance involves “pigging” and in-line inspections of the 569-kilometer offshore pipeline running from Ajido, Lagos State, Nigeria, to Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana. Key subsea valves at Tema and Cotonou will also be replaced to enhance operational safety.
This maintenance will affect specific services, including reversing gas flow from Ghana’s Western Region to Tema while temporarily suspending transportation services to Cotonou (Benin), Lomé (Togo), and Tema (Ghana). However, gas supply from Nigeria to Takoradi will persist throughout the maintenance period to facilitate ongoing inspection and cleaning operations.
WAPCo emphasized that the cleaning and inspection process is a regulatory requirement aligned with industry best practices, vital for ensuring the West African Gas Pipeline’s safe and efficient operation. This extensive cleaning includes an inspection of the entire pipeline from Itoki, Ogun State (Nigeria), to Takoradi, Ghana, being executed in two phases. The first phase, which concluded in December 2024, focused on the onshore pipeline, while the upcoming phase will concentrate on the offshore section.
“WAPCo is mandated to conduct these inspections every five years, or on a risk-based schedule, to maintain the WAGP’s integrity and safe operations throughout the West African region,” the company stated.
To facilitate a successful maintenance process, WAPCo has engaged proactively with key stakeholders and expressed gratitude to the governments of Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo for their support. The company also acknowledged the collaboration of maritime and regulatory authorities across these nations, as well as customers, shippers, gas off-takers, and community stakeholders.
Auwal Ibrahim, WAPCo’s General Manager of Operations & Maintenance, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to maintaining transparent communication with all stakeholders during the project’s execution phase.
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