The Federal Government has commended Lee Engineering & Construction Company Limited, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and other stakeholders handling the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) Midline Compressor Project for maintaining the project’s delivery schedule as work approaches completion.
The ELPS Midline Compressor Project is a key component of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure expansion programme and is expected to significantly improve gas transportation capacity, strengthen energy security and support increased gas supply to industries, power plants and commercial users across western Nigeria.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, gave the commendation during an inspection tour of the ELPS Midline Compressor Stations at Ologbo and Okada in Edo State, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace of work and urged all stakeholders to sustain the momentum towards the successful completion and commissioning of the facilities.
The minister was accompanied on the inspection by the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy at NNPC Limited, Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye, and the Chairman of Lee Engineering & Construction Company Limited, Chief Leemon Ikpea.
Ekpo said the project remains central to the Federal Government’s efforts to expand critical gas infrastructure and deepen domestic gas utilisation in line with its broader economic development agenda.
In a post on his X handle, the minister reiterated the importance of sustained investment in gas transportation infrastructure to unlock economic growth, improve energy security and accelerate industrialisation.
“Ekpo expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded and commended NNPC Limited, Lee Engineering and all project stakeholders for maintaining the project’s delivery timeline. He urged them to sustain the current momentum to ensure the successful completion and commissioning of the facilities as scheduled.
“The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s unwavering commitment to expanding Nigeria’s gas infrastructure, noting that strategic investments in gas transportation infrastructure are critical to unlocking economic growth, enhancing energy security and deepening domestic gas utilisation,” the statement read.
According to the minister, the completion of the ELPS Midline Compressor Stations will significantly increase gas pressure along the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System, boosting the volume of gas transported to industries, commercial users and power generation plants across Lagos and other parts of western Nigeria.
He noted that the project would improve the reliability of gas supply to critical sectors of the economy while advancing the government’s objective of ensuring adequate gas availability for domestic consumption.
Ekpo reiterated his confidence in the project team despite the technical complexity of the work, urging all contractors and stakeholders to maintain the current pace until the facilities are fully completed and commissioned.
He described the expansion of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure as a key pillar of the Federal Government’s strategy for achieving sustainable economic growth, strengthening energy security and promoting industrial development.
The ELPS Midline Compressor Project forms part of major upgrades to Nigeria’s domestic gas transmission network. Under the ELPS II expansion, the pipeline’s nameplate capacity is being doubled from approximately 1.1 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day to about 2.2 billion standard cubic feet per day.
The installation of the midline compressor stations is expected to maximise the utilisation of the existing pipeline network by increasing operating pressure, enabling the transportation of substantially larger gas volumes without constructing an additional transmission line.
According to the latest progress report submitted by the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), construction of the project reached 92.7 per cent completion in January 2026 and had advanced to 94.88 per cent by May 2026.
Once operational, the compressor stations are expected to significantly enhance gas supply to thermal power plants, cement manufacturers, fertiliser producers and other major industrial consumers that rely on the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System for their energy requirements, further supporting Nigeria’s transition towards a gas-powered economy.
