Global Markets
Home›Global Markets›Trade & Tariffs›West Africa signs off $25bn Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic g…
West Africa signs off $25bn Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline
The 6,000 km project is set to start in 2028, with an expected 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year once operational.
West African leaders have formally endorsed the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline, an infrastructure plan described as one of the region's most ambitious energy projects. The agreement was signed in a ceremony in Freetown, with West African bloc Ecowas leaders backing the project at the highest level, according to BBC Business.
The pipeline will run along the Atlantic coast of 14 countries and carry Nigerian gas to Morocco, where it will link into Europe's existing gas network via Spain. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, and the project is estimated to cost $25 billion.
BBC Business reports that the deal also aims to shift away from a model where African gas is extracted, processed abroad, and then shipped back to Africa at much higher prices. Energy expert Charles Majomi said that approach represents a devaluation of the resource, while the new route is expected to support regional industrial growth and strengthen Africa's position in international energy markets.
If delivered as planned, the pipeline would move 30 billion cubic metres of gas per year and serve up to 400 million consumers, making it one of the world's longest offshore gas pipelines. The Sunday agreement sets the legal and governance framework for the project and is viewed as the final major political hurdle before financing and construction decisions, after about a decade of negotiations among more than a dozen countries.