ECOWAS signs Nigeria–Morocco intergovernmental gas pipeline agreement

West African leaders have approved plans for a gas pipeline linking Nigeria to Morocco, marking a major political milestone for one of Africa's most ambitious infrastructure projects.

Member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have signed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) backing the Nigeria-Morocco ‌Atlantic gas pipeline.   The heads of state of ECOWAS member states signed the IGA for the African Atlantic gas pipeline (AAGP) project during the ECOWAS Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.   The National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), Morocco’s hydrocarbons and mining agency, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, announced the agreement in a joint statement on Sunday.   The statement noted that the pipeline is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas a year from Nigeria and west Africa through 13 West African countries ⁠to Morocco.     Of that capacity, ONHYM and NNPC said 15 bcm will be delivered annually to Moroccan and European markets through an existing pipeline that links Morocco to Spain.   “The AAGP is a transformative regional infrastructure initiative designed to unlock West Africa’s vast natural gas resources, connect them to major demand centres, integrate African energy markets, and establish a strategic development corridor linking West Atrica, Sahel Countries, Morocco, and Europe,” the agencies said.   “The signing gives practical effect to the approval granted at the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja in December 2024.     “It concludes the institutional process coordinated by ECOWAS following the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Morocco and reatfirms the participating States’ strong commitment to the project.”   The statement noted that the milestone reached in Freetown marks the beginning of the next implementation phase, “which will include the establishment of the project company, to be headquartered in Casablanca, and the pipeline higher authority (PHA), the governance body of the AAGP, to be based in Abuja”.   “These institutional milestones will pave the way for investor mobilisation and the preparation of the Final Investment Decision (FID),” they said.   “The final milestone will be marked by a dedicated ceremony to be held at a later date in the Kingdom of Morocco, during which the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania will jointly sign the Agreement, in the presence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.     “Initiated under the shared vision of the late President Muhammadu Buhari and His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the project continues to enjoy the full support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”   According to the statement, significant progress has already been made, including completion of front-end engineering design (FEED) studies and finalisation of route reconnaissance surveys.   ONHYM and NNPC added that environmental and social studies have been advanced, and key legal, regulatory, and commercial frameworks, have been established.   The statement noted that the milestones position the project for the implementation phase.     ONHYM and NNPC said the AAGP will run from Nigeria to Morocco through thirteen Atlantic coastal countries, with interconnections serving landlocked Sahel nations.  

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has signed the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the implementation of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), marking a major milestone towards the realisation of the multibillion-dollar energy project. The agreement was signed by Heads of State and Government at the 69th Ordinary Summit […] The post ECOWAS signs agreement to advance Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project appeared first on Vanguard News.

"We have already signed the West Africa-Morocco gas pipeline," said ECOWAS chair Julius Maada Bio said. "Don't be surprised when the gas comes your way." The post ECOWAS approve Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline appeared first on Vanguard News.