The West African Gas Pipeline Company says it is moving into a new phase of growth that will see the regional gas network push towards full utilisation of its 470 million standard cubic feet per day capacity and begin preparing for a future system expansion, even as it raises the alarm over the growing threat posed by illegal sand mining along its Nigerian pipeline corridor.
During a media parley with journalists in Nigeria, WAPCO’s Managing Director, Abiodun Abodunrin, said the pipeline has delivered an average of 217 mmscf/d as of November 2025 and is expected to close the year at 218 to 220 mmscf/d, the highest throughput recorded since operations began almost three decades ago.
Despite the performance, he said the pipeline is still significantly underutilised, with more than 250 mmscf/d of unused capacity daily. He warned that this gap highlights West Africa’s deepening energy deficit and the region’s continued dependence on Nigeria’s gas to keep electricity flowing from Lagos to Cotonou, Lomé, and Accra.
“On our best days, we are only utilising around 40 per cent of the pipeline’s capacity; meanwhile, populations across the region are growing faster than the energy available to them,” he said.
Abodunrin called for urgent alignment on fiscal and regulatory frameworks among the four participating countries—Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Togo, and Ghana—noting that this is crucial for attracting the level of private investment required to boost regional gas supply and expand the network.
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