Nigeria, Morocco, ECOWAS Advance Talks On $26b African Gas Pipeline Project

The federal government of Nigeria, alongside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Morocco, and Mauritania, have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the $26 billion African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project.

The announcement was made at the ECOWAS Inter-Ministerial Meeting on the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project, where officials disclosed that they are partnering with additional stakeholders to propel the initiative forward.

The meeting, held in Abuja on Monday, saw the attendance of ECOWAS Ministers of Hydrocarbons and Energy, along with representatives from Morocco and Mauritania.

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The project, designed to connect at least 13 nations, aims to drive economic growth across the region.

In his address, Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), highlighted the significance of the meeting’s decisions, which he stated would shape the future of the African Atlantic gas project.

Kyari, represented by NNPC’s Executive Vice President for Gas Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, stressed the need for the project to positively impact both the regional economy and the lives of local communities.

Ogunleye said “Today, we come together to make significant progress in the African Atlantic gas pipeline project, perhaps the largest African project, a transformative initiative that promises to connect at least 13 African nations in shared prosperity and development.

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“Decisions made here will shape the future of the African Atlantic gas project, ensuring a positive impact on the economics of our nation and the lives of our people. A lot of progress has been made with the front-end engineering design, phase two study is now completed and work is ongoing for service environmental and social impact assessments and the land acquisition and resettlement.

“These achievements underscore our shared capacity and resolve to bring this partner project to fruition, demonstrating both the project’s viability and our capability for effective execution.

“Supported, of course, by strong regional collaboration, which we continue to appreciate, NNPC is well positioned to progress this project by leveraging on its expertise across that production, processing, transmission and marketing and experience having executed similar projects.”

He emphasized the role of strong regional collaboration in the project’s advancement, adding that NNPC, with its extensive experience in production, processing, transmission, and marketing, is well-equipped to drive the initiative to completion.

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Also speaking, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the project will be transformative of the energy landscape of the continent.

“We stand at a critical juncture where these draft agreements hold the power to reshape our energy landscape, strengthen our economies, and uplift our people,” Ekpo stated.

He emphasized that the agreements should demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing hydrocarbon and energy trade across ECOWAS nations, enhancing access to natural gas in West Africa, and expanding Africa’s presence in the global gas market.

In her remarks, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Laila Benali, conveyed optimism about the project’s ability to unlock new markets and generate employment opportunities.

ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalisation, Sediko Douka, highlighted the necessity of close collaboration, stating, “We have reached a critical phase in the development of this project, and it’s crucial for all parties to work closely to bring it to fruition.”