The Federal Government of Nigeria has called on Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama to ensure that his country’s agencies expedite action on clearing the backlog of debt for gas supplied under the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) framework.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperipe Ekpo, delivered this message during a courtesy visit to President Mahama on the sidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the West African Gas Pipeline meeting, held on April 29, 2025, in Accra.
According to a 9am News report, the outstanding gas debt has been pegged at $75 million. Ekpo assured the Ghanaian leader of Nigeria’s commitment to addressing supply issues while urging swift action on fiscal amendments to the WAGP Act to reflect evolving operational demands and preserve regional harmony.
“We are committed to sustaining continued collaboration with Ghana in the gas sector,” Ekpo stated, while also appealing for Ghana’s continued support of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project, a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing regional energy security and economic cooperation.
Responding, President Mahama expressed gratitude for the visit and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to fulfilling its financial obligations under the WAGP framework. He also assured Nigeria of Ghana’s readiness to maintain regional cooperation and harmony as outlined in the proposed amendments to the WAGP Act.
In February, the Ghanaian government announced plans to negotiate with Nigeria’s N-Gas Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, over a partial debt payment of $37.5 million. However, Aliyu Aminu, Managing Director of N-Gas, has yet to comment on whether this payment has been made.
Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, emphasized the importance of the debt settlement during a visit to the West Africa Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) facility in Tema. He revealed that N-Gas had issued a formal notice warning of a potential suspension of gas supplies over the accumulated debt.
WAPCo, which operates the 569-kilometre pipeline running from Nigeria through Benin, Togo, and into Ghana’s Takoradi via Tema, suspended gas transportation on February 5, 2025, for critical maintenance, including pipeline cleaning and inspection.
“The government is focusing on resolving the problem. We will do everything possible to ensure that after the pipeline is cleaned, the flow of gas will resume to keep the lights on, because the health and growth of the economy depend on access to stable energy,” Jinapor assured.
As the negotiations proceed, both Nigeria and Ghana are under pressure to strengthen their collaboration to safeguard the energy stability that is vital for West Africa’s economic development.
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