The planned Morocco–Nigeria gas pipeline is gaining relevance as global geopolitical tensions disrupt energy markets and rising electricity demand in West Africa fuels industrialisation and mining development.
The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline,which will link Nigerian gas fields to Morocco and onward to Europe,is now moving into a new phase,with the next step being the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between the 13 participating countries,Amina Benkhadra,head of Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mining (ONHYM),told Reuters.
Following the agreement,a high-level authority will be established to ensure political and regulatory coordination among the countries involved. A project company will also be set up in Morocco as a joint venture between ONHYM and Nigeria’s National Petroleum Company to finance and implement the project,Benkhadra said.
The pipeline was agreed in 2016 by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and then Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari as a strategic project aimed at helping West African countries strengthen their energy sovereignty and meet long-term development needs.
Benkhadra said the project would be developed in phases,with initial segments linking Morocco to gas fields in Mauritania and Senegal,as well as connecting Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
First gas from the initial phase is expected in 2031,she said,noting that each segment is designed to operate as a “standalone system” to generate early value.
The project has attracted strong interest from financial partners and development banks due to its scale and strategic geographic positioning,Benkhadra added.
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