The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo), operators of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) an essential pipeline maintenance activities involving the pigging and in-line inspection of the 569km Nigeria Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, and Togo Gas pipeline.

The firm said the maintenance of the gas pipeline began on February 5, 2025, and will end on March 2, 2025.

The pipeline shutdown will affect four countries

According to a statement by the company on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the job begins at Ajido in Lagos, Takoradi in Ghana, involving the replacement of critical subsea valves at Tema and Cotonou to boost operational safety.

WAPCo said that the work would lead to a temporary suspension of some services such as the reverse flow transportation of natural LNG from Ghana to Tema and gas transport services from Nigeria to Cotonou and Tema.

WAPCo stated that gas transportation from Nigeria to Takoradi in Ghana would go on as usual during the period to ensure the execution of the pipeline cleaning and inspection activities.

The firm said that the cleaning and inspection exercise was a crucial regulatory requirement and aligns with industry best practices to ensure efficient gas pipeline operations.

It stressed that the cleaning and inspection would stretch the entire pipeline from Itoki, Ogun State in Nigeria to Takoradi in Ghana. The company completed the first phase in December last year, involving cleaning and inspecting the onshore sections of the pipeline in Nigeria.

The second phase was scheduled to start on February 5, 2025, and would focus on the offshore section of the network.

WAPCo engages stakeholders to ensure smooth operations

According to reports, the company was directed to carry out the inspections every five years as part of its plan to maintain the pipeline’s integrity and ensure its safe operation across the region.

ThisDay reported that WAPCo has engaged with key stakeholders to ensure the necessary alignment for the successful implementation of the project.

Experts say that the maintenance may cause temporary gas shortages in the affected countries throughout the duration. The development comes amid an increase in cooking gas prices across the country.

Energy analysts say the move could worsen cooking gas prices for the one-month maintenance period.