The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has taken a major step toward the implementation of the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, with member states signing an intergovernmental agreement backing the landmark regional energy project.
The agreement was signed on Sunday in Freetown, Sierra Leone, according to a joint statement issued by Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
The joint statement said the pipeline is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas annually from Nigeria through 13 West African countries to Morocco.
Of the total capacity, 15 bcm per year will be supplied to Morocco and European markets through the existing pipeline linking Morocco to Spain.
The project, first agreed upon about a decade ago by the King of Morocco and the Nigerian President, will span approximately 6,900 kilometres using a hybrid offshore and onshore route.
ONHYM and NNPC confirmed that the project has successfully completed its feasibility study and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phases.
The statement added that the next milestone will be the signing of an agreement between Morocco and Mauritania in the presence of Nigeria’s President, further advancing the project’s implementation.
In June 2022, the Federal Executive Council approved NNPC to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ECOWAS to facilitate the construction of the pipeline from Nigeria through West Africa to Morocco and Europe.
In December 2022, NNPC signed additional MoUs with five African countries to advance the project.
In March 2024, the then Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, disclosed that the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project was expected before the end of 2024.
Although progress has continued over the years, the project has faced delays arising from financing requirements, cross-border coordination and the complexity of executing one of the world’s longest offshore gas pipelines.
The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline is one of Africa’s most ambitious energy infrastructure projects, aimed at connecting Nigerian gas reserves to West African countries, Morocco and ultimately Europe.
The project is expected to enhance regional energy integration by expanding access to natural gas for power generation, industrial development and mining activities across participating countries.
According to ONHYM, the project is designed to promote economic integration across West Africa by improving electricity generation, supporting industrialisation and strengthening regional energy security.
The signing of the ECOWAS intergovernmental agreement significantly advances the project, bringing participating countries closer to mobilising financing and moving one of Africa’s largest energy infrastructure investments toward execution.
For Nigeria, successful delivery of the pipeline could boost gas export revenues and deepen the country’s role as a regional energy hub, while for West African consumers, improved gas supply could lower electricity costs and support industrial growth.
