West African Leaders Sign $25bn Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pact

At the ECOWAS summit held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, West African leaders signed an intergovernmental agreement for the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project. This ambitious project, jointly promoted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Morocco's Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines, aims to stretch nearly 6,900 kilometers along the West African Atlantic coast.

It is expected to transport 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, linking Nigeria's gas resources to markets across West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco, and Europe. The agreement provides the sovereign backing required to advance the project, which is anticipated to create a new energy corridor and improve energy access, drive industrialization, and establish a strategic development corridor.

The project has received significant preparatory support, including front-end engineering design studies and environmental assessments. The agreement reflects the vision shared by former President Muhammadu Buhari and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, with current support from President Bola Tinubu.