The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project has recorded substantial progress, with recent Technical and Steering Committee meetings held in Rabat to assess developments and align future steps in line with previously signed Memoranda of Understanding among participating national oil companies.
The sessions, convened by Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) on 10–11 July, brought together key stakeholders to review the project’s implementation status.
In a statement released by ONHYM, the agency confirmed that the pipeline initiative has achieved several crucial technical, environmental, and institutional benchmarks. Among them is the completion of detailed engineering designs in 2024, while survey and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) studies for the northern segment have also been finalised. Similar studies for the southern section, spanning from Nigeria to Senegal, are currently underway.
Conceived as a phased development, the pipeline is expected to carry up to 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually through 13 African countries.
A dedicated Holding Company is being established to govern the financing and construction phases of the project. It will coordinate three special purpose vehicles (SPVs), each tasked with managing specific sections of the pipeline.
The Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), defining the rights and responsibilities of each participating nation, was adopted in December 2024 at the 66th ECOWAS Summit.
A key outcome of the Rabat meetings was the signing of a new memorandum of understanding between Nigeria’s National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Morocco’s ONHYM, and Togo’s National Gas Company (SOTOGAZ), marking Togo’s formal entry into the project. This completes the partnership framework with all countries situated along the pipeline’s route.
ONHYM expressed satisfaction with the pace of progress and reaffirmed the stakeholders’ shared commitment to advancing the initiative through continued cooperation.
The pipeline will originate in Nigeria and trace the Atlantic coast through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, and Mauritania, before reaching Morocco. It will then connect to the existing Maghreb-Europe Pipeline, providing a direct link to European gas markets.
In addition, the pipeline will supply gas to three landlocked countries, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, further extending its regional impact.
The initiative, jointly launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is seen as a catalyst for socio-economic development across Africa.
King Mohammed VI has described the pipeline as a project that will uplift living standards across the continent, bolster regional economic ties, and drive deeper integration among African nations. The initiative also supports Morocco’s broader Atlantic Strategy, which seeks to enhance cooperation among Atlantic-facing African countries.
With its scale and strategic scope, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline is positioned to deliver significant economic and social benefits across West Africa, potentially transforming energy access and strengthening the region’s role in the global energy market.