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Enhancing Africa’s Energy Landscape: ECOWAS Workshop on Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline
The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline, launched in 2016, is making significant progress toward its realization, with the goal of enhancing Africa’s energy infrastructure and fostering regional integration through the export of Nigerian gas. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is hosting a regional workshop from October 8-11 in Lagos, Nigeria, aimed at reviewing and finalizing the Host Government Agreement (HGA) for this strategic project.
This initiative, originally proposed by King Mohammed VI of Morocco and former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, continues to receive backing from current Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. The workshop is organized in collaboration with Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), both of which are crucial to the project's development. Experts and representatives from the involved 13 nations, along with key ministerial departments and national oil companies, are participating to ensure a comprehensive review of the agreement.
Following several negotiation rounds held in Rabat, Marrakech, and Abidjan, this workshop seeks to finalize the draft of the HGA, which is essential for formalizing agreements between each participating country and the designated project company. An ONHYM representative remarked that the gathering of experts reflects a strong commitment from all involved nations to contribute to the implementation of this pivotal project.
“This groundbreaking initiative exemplifies the importance of South-South cooperation and will significantly aid in economic and social development, particularly through the stimulation of various industries within the region,” the representative stated.
Since its inception, the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline has shown promising advancements. In July, high-level discussions in Rabat brought together officials from 12 West African countries, ECOWAS representatives, and Moroccan government agencies, all aimed at propelling the project forward. Progress has been made in completing feasibility studies, conducting environmental impact assessments, and establishing a robust legal framework.
In August, Amina Benkhadra, Director General of ONHYM, emphasized the project’s favorable trajectory, attributing it to the unwavering dedication of the participating countries. Her comments came during a regional workshop in Abidjan focused on reviewing and validating the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and HGA.
The pipeline, stretching approximately 6,000 kilometers and boasting a capacity of around 30 billion cubic meters, is designed to enhance Africa’s energy landscape by facilitating the export of Nigerian natural gas to Europe. It is expected to not only improve energy access in West Africa but also to stimulate economic and social development and promote deeper regional integration.
Moreover, the project is poised to contribute to political, economic, and social stability within the region, thereby bolstering energy security across Africa and enhancing connections with Europe.