$26bln African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project Gains Momentum

The federal government, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Morocco, and Mauritania, has reaffirmed its commitment to the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project.

This $26 billion initiative aims to connect at least 13 nations, driving economic growth and integration across the region.

At the recent ECOWAS Inter-Ministerial Meeting in Abuja on Monday, officials announced plans to partner with additional stakeholders to propel the project forward.

Mr. Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), emphasized the significance of the meeting’s decisions, which will shape the project’s future.

Kyari, represented by Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye, NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President for Gas Power & New Energy, pointed out the need for positive regional economic and community impact.

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.

“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.”

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the project as transformative for the continent’s energy landscape.

“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 said.

Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Laila Benali, expressed optimism about unlocking new markets and employment opportunities. ECOWAS Commissioner Sediko Douka stressed the need for close collaboration among all parties to bring the project to fruition.

Initiated in 2016, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project combines two major projects: the West African Gas Pipeline Extension Project and the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline.

The pipeline will span 5,300 km from Nigeria to Morocco and an additional 1,700 km from Morocco to Northern Morocco, supplying gas to Morocco, 13 ECOWAS countries, and Europe.