Press Release
Nigeria’s move to seek broader frontiers for its Liquefied Natural Gas
away from the traditional Asian-pacific hub received a sub-regional push on
Wednesday as the Republic of Cote D’ Ivoire signaled its intention to
procure LNG supplies from Nigeria in support of its growing power needs.
The package which is the first of its kind in the West African
sub-region would see Nigeria commit a small chunk of its daily LNG output which
stands at over three billion cubic feet of gas per day, to its sub-regional neighbors
in the first instance before the eventual extension of the West Africa Gas
Pipeline to Cote D’Ivoire and Senegal.
Leading a delegation from the Ivorien Ministry of Energy to the NNPC
Towers Abuja, Kone Moussa, a Director stated that his country would be relying
on structural diversion of LNG Cargoes from Nigeria as a starter within the
next few months to tackle the growing energy needs. He informed that the
country has already entered into a working relationship with Sahara Energy to
drive the process.
Receiving the delegation, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Joseph Dawha, stated that the NNPC is ready
to cash in on the opportunity in line with its overall strategic expansion
drive for Nigeria’s LNG market.
Dr. Dawha’s perspective was echoed by Dr. David Ige, Group Executive
Director, Gas & Power of the NNPC who emphasized that the move would help
broaden the supply base.
'At the moment the entire West African Sub-region starting from Nigeria
is undergoing phenomenal economic growth and that practically translates into a
higher demand for energy. As you know the West African Gas pipeline terminates
in Ghana, so Cote D’Ivoire has come to request that we bring gas to them in the
first instance by LNG and ultimately in the future by extension of the
pipeline,’’ Dr. Ige said.
He noted that apart from offering a strategic opportunity for NNPC and
Nigeria, the project is in line with the NEPAD spirit and would serve the
mutual growth of ECOWAS member countries by fostering the economic integration
of the West Africa corridor.
'What this means is that in future we don’t have to go as far as Europe
or Asia to supply LNG when we can do so next door,’’ he said.
Earlier a delegation from Ghana led by the Minister of Power, Honourable
Kwabena Donkor was at the NNPC Towers to seek support on recent unintended gas
supply disruptions in the West Africa Gas Pipeline grid.
Dr. Ige assured that the NNPC is working aggressively with all other
partners in the WAGPCO to restore supply disruptions wrought by extraneous
factors.
'It has been a very difficult time not only for Ghana but for Nigeria
as well because of the disruptions in pipelines. But I believe and strongly too
that the various interventions that are ongoing by the Federal Government would
help restore as well as grow the reliability of the WAGP,’’ he said.
OHI ALEGBE
Group General Manager
Group Public Affairs Division
NNPC, Abuja
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