Nigeria’s federal government has argued that choosing a Nigerian to lead the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA) does not violate any portion of the treaty that established the organization.
WAGPA is an international organization founded by the Treaty on the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) Project, which was signed by the Presidents of Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.
However, it was reported that the regional body’s decision to appoint a Nigerian, Ms. Chafari Kanya, had raised questions, with francophone countries stating that Nigeria could not hold both the headquarters and the director general at the same time.
Nigeria’s stance, according to THISDAY, is that no provision of the international agreement requires members of the organization to give up their right to produce the DG, even if the head office is in their country.
The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) manages the pipelines project, which is jointly owned by Chevron (36.7%), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) (25%), Shell Overseas Holdings Limited (18%), Takoradi Power Company Limited (16.3%), Société Togolaise de Gaz (2%), and et Société BenGaz (2 per cent).
Mr Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, stated at the WAGP Committee of Ministers (CoM) meeting in Abuja that the Accra resolution of November 2021 to move through with the choice of a Nigerian as the body’s president remains crucial.
He appealed to member nations’ patience, pushing them to follow the rules that govern the organization.
“Dear coworkers, I appreciate that we disagree over the DG’s appointment, but I am optimistic that, through common understanding, which has been the hallmark of this body, we will all agree to respect each other’s existing rights under the WAGP Treaty.
“As parties to the treaty and accords, we should all follow the applicable terms of these legal instruments, particularly section 4(2) of Article IV of the Treaty, which governs the selection of the Director General of WAGPA.”
“It is evident that section 4(2) of Article IV of the WAGP Treaty does not discriminate against any State Party in the nomination of the Director General of WAGPA, and I have stated this exact position of the Treaty in my earlier communication to you, my dear colleagues.”
“In these circumstances, I shall urge everyone’s understanding and assistance in achieving a sustainable, profitable, and fair conclusion on this topic guided by the Treaty’s terms.”
“It cannot be argued otherwise in a scenario like this,” the minister said, “that being governed by the Treaty, which brought the State Parties together, is the most dependable internal mechanism available for conflict settlement.”
According to him, disregarding an applicable term of the treaty in violation of an existing right of one of the treaty’s parties, Nigeria, would be extremely unfair.
“I am confident that as committed treaty signatories, we will have no trouble permitting clause 4(2) of Article IV of the Treaty to address the matter of the Director General’s nomination for all of us.”
“If Article IV, Section 4(2) of the Treaty states that a Nigerian is not competent to be named Director General, then such an agreement must be observed and upheld.” “However, since section 4(2) of Article IV of the Treaty states that Nigeria is qualified, then there is no reason to object to what section 4(2) of Article IV of the Treaty plainly states,” he argued.
The summit, according to Sylva, comes at a vital time, given the shifting socio-political scene caused by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which has put pressure on global gas consumption across Europe.
He noted that the organization was established to increase cross-border natural gas transportation and that the Takoradi-Tema Interconnection Project (TTIP) and the lifting of the force majeure imposed by Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) between June 2013 and October 2020 had been accomplished since its inception. He also mentioned the transition from the Access Code to the WAGP Network Code, as well as the ongoing amendments to the WAGP Act and the WAGP Regulations to give the WAGP Authority licencing jurisdiction to oversee the actions of the Shippers.
“As a nation, we will continue to engage with all stakeholders to improve project performance.”
“I dare claim that we have done reasonably well in our collaborative efforts to achieve these admirable goals,” he remarked.
He added that because gas is recognized as renewable energy by the international community, and because members cannot avoid joining the global energy transformation train, they must rush to explore and use the rich natural gas reserves within their borders.
In her remarks, the new DG, Kanya, vowed to work with WAPCo and other WAGP Project partners to identify gaps in the delivery of better services in order to ensure a continuous, increased, and sustainable flow of gas.
“This is important to me because adequate gas flow to end users through the WAGP will accelerate positive growth of the countries’ power sectors, accelerate industrialisation, generate employment, increase revenue for the State Parties, and increase infrastructural developments for our people,” she explained. She acknowledged that over-regulation could discourage people and be counterproductive, but she stated that the restrictions created for the WAGP Project could be amended if they become counterproductive.
In his intervention, Ghana’s Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Prempeh, who is also the head of WAPG, claimed that despite past “technical breaches,” the WAGP remains a regional asset and has been a substantial contributor to the stability of power supply in recipient nations.
” It is thus suitable that plans exist to extend the pipeline further along the West African coast, up to Morocco, in order to supply natural gas to the countries along the pipeline path, as well as those inland.”
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the Takoradi to Tema Interconnection Project (TTIP), which cost around $200 million and was entirely funded by the Ghanaian government.
Gregory Germani, Managing Director of WAPCo, praised the committee of ministers’ contribution in keeping the WAGP afloat as it celebrates ten years of commercial operations.
He emphasized the importance of WAGP for regional integration and the sub-energy region’s future, noting that it continues to act as a development tool among member countries.
