Posted by By Obinna Ezeobi, Abuja on
Nigeria has restated its commitment to supply Ghana with 30 million cubic metres of gas for power generation.
Nigeria has restated its commitment to supply Ghana with 30 million cubic metres of gas for power generation.
Nigeria‘s High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, stated this when he paid a courtesy call on the Ghanaian Minister of Energy, Mr. Felix Owusu-Adjepong, to discuss issues on the West African Gas Pipeline project and strengthening ties between the two countries.
A statement obtained by our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja quoted Obanikoro as saying that the WAGP project was essential to improve power supply in the sub-region.
He added that the government of Nigeria had set up a committee to fast-track the process, which meant that it was committed to the success of the project.
Obanikoro said Nigeria recognised the delay in meeting its side of the agreement it had signed with Ghana.
The project, which is part of the West African Gas Pipeline scheme, aims to transport Nigerian natural gas to Benin, Togo and Ghana for electricity generation.
The WAGP involves the construction of a 680-kilometre transport system designed to carry natural gas from Nigeria to markets in Benin, Togo and Ghana.
In 2004, the World Bank and its private sector insurance arm, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, provided risk insurance totaling $125m for WAGP, which is financed by a consortium of private companies led by Chevron.
Completion of pipeline construction, which was initially expected in early 2007, was not achieved, having been delayed by instability in the Niger Delta region, where the gas is to be extracted from, a scenario predicted by local groups even while the project was under preparation.
The project has become the subject of a claim to the World Bank inspection panel by affected communities in Nigeria, who have cited the inadequacy of the project's environmental impact assessment and public consultations, and the failure to demonstrate how the project would reduce gas flaring in Nigeria or bring benefits to local communities.
BIC monitors World Bank Group support for WAGP, serving as a resource for environmental groups in Nigeria and Ghana concerned about the continued exploitation of natural resources from the fragile Niger Delta area and the impacts of trans-boundary infrastructure on local communities and the environment.
The Ambassador also touched on criminal activities of some Nigerians in Ghana that could destroy the harmony between the two countries. Mr Obanikoro gave the assurance that he would do everything within his power to ensure that such practices were dealt with.