finance
West African Leaders Endorse Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline
ECOWAS heads of state approved the $25 billion project during a summit in Sierra Leone on Sunday. The 6,800-kilometer pipeline would carry up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Nigeria through 13 countries to Morocco and Europe.
Jul 21, 3:52 AM·1m read2 sources
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West African heads of state endorsed the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline at an ECOWAS summit in Sierra Leone on Sunday. The $25 billion project would transport natural gas across 13 countries before connecting to the existing Maghreb-Europe pipeline that reaches Spain.
The 6,800-kilometer pipeline is expected to move up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year, with roughly half of the volume designated for Morocco and European markets. The remainder would supply domestic markets in participating West African countries.
Developers plan to create a project company based in Casablanca and a coordinating authority in Abuja to manage financing and prepare for a final investment decision. Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines and Nigeria's National Petroleum Company are leading the effort.
The pipeline would also link gas fields in Senegal and Mauritania, creating additional export routes while supplying countries that currently have limited access to natural gas.
The project was first proposed by Morocco in 2016 and has advanced as European buyers seek alternatives to previous supply sources. NNPC Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari said the ECOWAS endorsement supplies the political framework needed to advance the project.
Algeria is separately pursuing the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which would route Nigerian gas through Niger and Algeria to Europe. Both initiatives aim to position African producers as long-term suppliers to European markets.
