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The Federal Government, the Economic Community of West African States, alongside Morocco and Mauritania, have stated their commitment to push forward in the development of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project.
Officials representing various countries at the ECOWAS Inter-Ministerial Meeting of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project stated that they are collaborating with partners to advance the initiative, which aims to connect at least 13 nations and foster economic growth throughout the region.
The joint meeting held on Friday in Abuja was attended by ECOWAS Ministers of Hydrocarbons and Energy, with the participation of Morocco and Mauritania.
The NMGP Project is an initiative of the Federal Government and the Kingdom of Morocco and was conceived during the visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Nigeria in December 2016.
The AAGP estimated at $26bn merges two major pipeline projects: the $975m West African Gas Pipeline Extension Project, extending 678km, and the 5,669 km Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project, expected to cost around $25bn.
It is aimed at monetisation of Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources, thereby generating additional revenue for the country, diversification of Nigeria’s gas export routes, and elimination of gas flaring.
It will also assist in supplying gas to Morocco, 13 ECOWAS countries and Europe, as well as integration of the economies of the sub-region.
The pipeline length of the project is 5,300 kilometres from Nigeria-Dakhla (Morocco) and 1,700 kilometres (onshore) from Dakhla (Morocco)-Northern Morocco.
According to the organisers, the main objective of Friday’s meeting was to present to the ministers in charge of Hydrocarbons the latest versions of these community texts and to provide an update on the overall progress of the project, a necessary step to consolidate the involvement of all Member States in the project development process.
Speaking in his address, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, underscored the importance of decisions to be made at the meeting, stressing it will shape the future of the African Atlantic gas project.
Kyari, who was represented by the NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President, Gas Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, emphasised that the project must make a positive impact on the economics of the region’s nation and the lives of the people.
Ogunleye said, “Today, we come together to make significant progress in the African Atlantic gas pipeline project, perhaps the largest African project, a transformative initiative that promises to connect at least 13 African nations in shared prosperity and development.
“Decisions made here will shape the future of the African Atlantic gas project, ensuring a positive impact on the economics of our nation and the lives of our people. A lot of progress has been made with the front-end engineering design, phase two study is now completed and work is ongoing for service environmental and social impact assessments and the land acquisition and resettlement.
“These achievements underscore our shared capacity and resolve to bring this partner project to fruition, demonstrating both the project’s viability and our capability for effective execution.
“Supported, of course, by strong regional collaboration, which we continue to appreciate, NNPC is well positioned to progress this project by leveraging on its expertise across that production, processing, transmission and marketing and experience having executed similar projects.”
He explained further that the NNPCL is well positioned to progress the project by leveraging on its experience and technical capabilities ranging from gas production, processing, transmission and marketing as well as its vast experience in executing major gas infrastructure projects in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, highlighted the transformative potential of the project.
“We stand at a critical juncture where these draft agreements hold the power to reshape our energy landscape, strengthen our economies, and uplift our people,” Ekpo stated.
He added that the agreements should reflect a steadfast commitment to enhancing hydrocarbon and energy trade across ECOWAS nations, providing much-needed access to natural gas in West Africa, and expanding Africa’s global gas market presence.
In her address, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Laila Benali, expressed optimism about the project’s potential to open new markets and create employment.
Meanwhile, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalisation, Sediko Douka, emphasised the importance of collaboration among all parties, saying, “We have reached a critical phase in the development of this project, and it’s crucial for all parties to work closely to bring it to fruition.”
The PUNCH reports that during the meeting, critical agreements, including the Intergovernmental Agreement and Host Government Agreement for the AAGP, were advanced, reflecting the shared vision of a resilient and interconnected energy future for Africa.
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