With the success of West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGP) project, large scale, cross boarder energy infrastructure is possible in Africa.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 West Africa Gas Summit (WAGS) in Accra, Ghana, The Director General , West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA), Chafari Kanya Hannawa, highlighted the vital role of public-private partnership in building large scale infrastructure, drawing lessons from the composition of WAGP project.
“If there is one lesson the WAGP teaches us, it is that large scale, cross border energy infrastructure is impossible without private capital and technical expertise. The West Africa Gas Pipeline was a billion-dollar venture made possible because the private sector saw value in working with governments. That lesson is more relevant now than ever”
She called for bold and coordinated regional strategies to unlock the full potential of natural gas as a catalyst for industrialization and economic transformation in West Africa, emphasizing the importance of innovation and inclusive knowledge-sharing.
She said: “We must create space for local entrepreneurs and innovators while being open to global expertise. The development of our gas market will require hybrid models, ones that combine local insights with international standards. That is how we can ensure sustainability and inclusion”, she stated
“Gas regionalization is not a one-off achievement; it is a continuous process that requires synchronization of national strategies with regional priorities. It also requires bold thinking, about interconnections with inland countries, about opportunities beyond our coastline, and about the infrastructure needed to take West Africa gas to new markets”
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The Director General, however, called for the evolution of national frameworks to attract investment and support long –term investment and economic growth
“At WAGPA, we understand that gas is a global commodity, and the regulatory environment must be agile, competitive and investment friendly. The goal is not just compliance, the goal is to attract capital, drive costs, and create certainty for both investors and end users, especially in the industrial sector, which we see as the engine of regional development”, Hannawa noted
Meanwhile, Hannawa announced that WAGPA has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with The Gas Consortium, the summit organisers
The West African Gas Pipeline Project consists of 678 km pipeline to transport natural gas from Nigeria to Benin, Togo and Ghana.
The Heads of States of Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo signed the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) Treaty with ECOWAS Secretariat as Witness on January, 2003 with formation of the West African Gas Pipeline Company limited, a joint venture between public and private sector companies from Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo in May of the same year.
