By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The ambitious African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) project has recorded a major breakthrough following the signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) by Heads of State of ECOWAS member countries.
The agreement was signed during the regional bloc’s summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, marking a significant step towards the implementation of the multi-billion-dollar regional gas pipeline project.
The AAGP is designed to unlock West Africa’s abundant natural gas resources, deepen regional energy integration and establish a strategic energy corridor linking West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco and Europe.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Andy Odeh, the proposed pipeline will span approximately 6,900 kilometres along the Atlantic coast and transport up to 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually.
The project is jointly promoted by NNPC Ltd. and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), with the backing of Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritania and ECOWAS member states.
When completed, the pipeline is expected to improve energy access, support electricity generation, accelerate industrialisation and stimulate economic growth across participating countries.
NNPC said the latest agreement gives practical effect to the approval granted at the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja in December 2024.
It also concludes the institutional process coordinated by ECOWAS following the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria and Morocco in 2022.
The company disclosed that a separate signing ceremony involving Morocco and Mauritania would complete the intergovernmental framework for the project.
Originally conceived under the leadership of former President Muhammadu Buhari and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, the AAGP project continues to enjoy the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
NNPC said several critical preparatory milestones had already been achieved, including the completion of Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies, route reconnaissance surveys, environmental and social impact assessments, as well as the establishment of key legal, regulatory and commercial frameworks.
The pipeline will run from Nigeria to Morocco through 13 Atlantic coastal countries, with connections extending to landlocked Sahel nations.
It will also connect to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, creating a new energy corridor capable of supplying up to 15 billion cubic metres of gas annually to Morocco and European markets.
Speaking on the development, the NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described the signing as a major milestone that provides the sovereign backing required to move the project from planning to execution.
Ojulari said the project aligns with President Tinubu’s vision of expanding Nigeria’s gas market, noting that the infrastructure would have the capacity to deliver about three billion cubic feet of Nigerian gas daily to domestic and international markets.
Similarly, the Director General of ONHYM, Mrs. Amina Benkhadra, described the agreement as another major step towards realising the strategic project.
She said the development reflected the vision of King Mohammed VI for an integrated Atlantic Africa.
NNPC further disclosed that following the completion of the remaining signatures, the Pipeline Higher Authority would be established in Abuja, while the AAGP Project Company would be headquartered in Casablanca.
The two institutions will supervise the implementation of the project and prepare the way for the Final Investment Decision (FID).
NNPC and ONHYM reaffirmed their commitment to delivering the project in accordance with international standards of technical excellence, environmental sustainability and good governance.
