APA Abuja (Nigeria) Nigeria promised that gas would be transported from the oil rich Niger Delta to Benin, Togo and Ghana by 2010 at the 63rd session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers which opened on Friday in Abuja.

The Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Nigeria’s Foreign minister Ojo Maduekwe, who spoke at the opening said “barring any unforeseen developments, gas will be transported to these countries.’’ “Thanks in part to the successful Amnesty Programme embarked upon by the Federal Government of Nigeria earlier in the year,’’ he said.

The amnesty was granted as a strategy to assuage the restive youth in the Niger Delta region, who had taken up arms against the government. This caused the destruction of oil installations and forced the relocation of many companies.

Since the acceptance of the amnesty, surrendering of arms and the government embarking on post amnesty rehabilitation, peace had returned to the region paving way for smooth operation of oil companies.

Maduekwe explained that a regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency was created and the interconnection of network of the West African Power Pool and the African Gas Pipeline was currently operational.

Furthermore, the minister however described as unfortunate the non implementation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Goods and Services.

Maduekwe also expressed the hope that the construction of the Joint Border Posts (JBP) would finally start in 2010.

He pointed out that one of the ways to achieve the vision of an ECOWAS of peoples by 2020 was the implementation of the protocol.

On the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Maduekwe expressed delight that the negotiators from the region have secured a firm financial commitment from the European Union (EU) on funding the EPA Development Programme (EPADP).

He added that ECOWAS remain committed to assisting both Guinea and Niger in restoring Constitutional order in their respective countries in not too distant future.

Earlier, ECOWAS President Mohamed Ibn Chambas noted that in spite of the performances recorded, the impact of the global financial crises posed great challenges to the economy of the region.

He noted that during the year, the Commission focused its activity on consolidating the common market and achieving macroeconomic convergence.

“It also concentrated on meeting the challenges of our regional strategy on poverty reduction by placing emphasis on the definition and implementation of sectoral policies,’’ Chambas said.