Bayo Ojulari Navigates Pipeline Funding Amid Regional Tensions

Bayo Ojulari, associated with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), is navigating complex regional dynamics as Morocco and Algeria compete for financial commitments to build gas pipelines. In June 2026, Algeria commenced construction on its section of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, a 4,000 km project designed to transport 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Nigerian gas to Europe, with an estimated cost of $10 billion and a projected completion time of three years.

Concurrently, in July 2026, Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with several Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries for the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, which will span 7,000 km and cost approximately $26 billion. However, Nigeria and Niger Republic are experiencing strained relations, and Morocco and Algeria are in conflict, complicating NNPCL's need for $12.5 billion and a decade to complete the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline.