Nigeria, Ghana Seek Solution to $75m Gas Debt Impasse

Nigeria and Ghana are making diplomatic moves to resolve a long-standing gas supply debt estimated at $75 million.

During a recent visit to Accra, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperipe Ekpo, met with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on the sidelines of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) Committee of Ministers meeting to discuss the outstanding payments.

Ekpo called on Ghana to expedite repayment efforts and urged relevant institutions to act swiftly in settling the arrears owed for natural gas supplied by Nigeria. He also emphasized the need to fast-track proposed changes to the WAGP Act, which governs the pipeline operations, in order to reflect current realities and strengthen regional cooperation.

He reassured Ghana of Nigeria’s commitment to maintaining energy collaboration within the subregion, and encouraged continued support for the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project—an initiative aimed at boosting regional energy security and integration.

President Mahama welcomed the Nigerian delegation and pledged that Ghana would meet its financial commitments to the WAGP project. He also voiced his country’s backing for reforms to the WAGP Act to ensure regional unity and smooth operations.Back in February, Ghana had disclosed its intention to begin talks with Nigeria’s N-Gas Limited over a partial payment of $37.5 million. However, N-Gas, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, has not confirmed whether that sum was received.

John Abdulai Jinapor, Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, reiterated the urgency of settling the debt during a visit to the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) facility in Tema. WAPCo operates the 569-kilometre gas pipeline connecting Nigeria to Ghana, and had temporarily suspended gas transmission on February 5, 2025, for maintenance activities.

Jinapor revealed that N-Gas had issued a formal warning regarding the potential halting of gas supply over the unpaid debt. He affirmed that Ghana was committed to resolving the issue swiftly to ensure the resumption of gas flow, which is vital to keeping the nation’s power infrastructure functional.“Our focus is to resolve the matter so that once maintenance is completed, the supply resumes. Stable energy is critical to the health of the economy,” he stated.