The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has disclosed that the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) would be extended from Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire as part of the Federal Government West African energy integration policy.
This pledge was made on Wednesday by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, while receiving a delegation from Cote d’Ivoire at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.
The GMD said Nigeria and indeed the NNPC has been into the business of oil and gas exploration and production for over 50 years, stressing that the interface would enable the NNPC to share its vast experiences in the sector with the delegation.
“Petroleum exploration and production dates back to over fifty years in Nigeria and a lot of experiences in technology and personnel management have been acquired. We are ready to share our experiences with you so as to help you to avoid the mistakes we made in the past,” Mr Baru, who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Engr Saidu Mohammed, stated.
He expressed the readiness of the NNPC to develop the capacity of the delegation, adding that the NNPC was aware of the long history of refining in Cote d’Ivoire.
Mr Baru noted that the extension of WAGP to Cote d’Ivoire would facilitate easy transmission of gas within the West African sub-region.
He noted that the visit would afford the NNPC and Cote d’Ivoire the opportunity to open a new vista for further bilateral discussion which would lead to the growth and development of the oil and gas sector.
Earlier, leader of the Ivoirian delegation and Deputy Director, Production, of Ministry of Petroleum, Cote d’Ivoire, Mr Patrick Marshal, said the visit was to learn from Nigeria some of its best practices in personnel management, exploration and production in the oil and gas industry.
Highpoint of the visit was a technical session on the mode of operations of the NNPC in the petroleum sector.
Dipo Olowookere 
Adedapo Adesanya