Stakeholders Advocate Regulatory Alignment to Improve WAPCo’s Efficiency
Stories by Peter Uzoho
Key figures from Nigeria’s oil and gas sector have reaffirmed their commitment to improving the efficiency of the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) with a call to strengthen regulatory alignment and cross-border energy corporation.
This was part of the resolutions following a recent high-level stakeholder forum in Abuja where discussions centered on digital transformation, regulatory reforms, and legislative alignment.
The event brought together representatives from federal and state institutions including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Federal Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Environment, traditional leaders, the Nigerian Navy, among others.
The focus of the forum was strengthening cross-border operations along WAPCo’s 691-kilometer pipeline system, which spans Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana.
In his address, General Counsel of WAPCo, Odey Simon Adamade, underscored the company’s founding principles, legal framework, and longstanding commitment to the communities it serves.
Adamade traced WAPCo’s origins to a 1982 ECOWAS initiative, which culminated in the 2003 Treaty establishing the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) Project.
“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 noted.
Stakeholders commended WAPCo for its transparency and open communication, which they said were vital for fostering sustainable collaboration.
Adamade described the forum as a “comprehensive, cross-functional engagement” involving ministries, private sector actors, traditional authorities, and security agencies working in concert 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 said.
