West African leaders signed the Intergovernmental Agreement for the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline during the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, establishing the legal and regulatory framework needed to advance one of Africa’s largest cross-border energy projects.
The approximately 6,000-kilometer pipeline will run along the Atlantic coast through 13 countries, transporting natural gas from Nigeria to Morocco.
From there, it will connect to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline network to supply European markets while also meeting domestic energy needs across the West African subregion.
The project, jointly led by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines, is expected to begin construction in 2028.
Once completed, it will have an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas, with about half of that designated for export to Europe via an existing connection to Spain.
The agreement clears the way for the next phase of development, including the creation of the project company, which will be headquartered in Casablanca, Morocco, and oversee the pipeline’s development and operations.
A separate governance body, known as the pipeline higher authority, will be based in Abuja, Nigeria, where it will coordinate the project’s immediate priorities, including attracting international investors and completing the work required before a final investment decision.
Project officials said the initiative is intended to establish a new economic development corridor linking West Africa, the Sahel region, Morocco, and Europe.
It also aims to strengthen regional energy security, expand access to electricity, support industrialization, and deepen the integration of African energy markets by connecting West Africa’s natural gas resources with regional and international commercial hubs.
Source:
www.jpost.com
