By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) project has moved a significant step closer to implementation, following the signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) by Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS member states during the regional bloc’s summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The agreement provides the legal and institutional framework for the ambitious transcontinental gas pipeline, which is expected to strengthen regional energy security, accelerate industrialisation and deepen economic integration across West Africa.
Jointly developed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), the project will transport an estimated 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually through a nearly 6,900-kilometre pipeline linking Nigeria to Morocco via 13 Atlantic coastal countries, with connections extending to landlocked Sahel nations and European markets.
The latest agreement gives effect to the approval granted by ECOWAS leaders at their 66th Ordinary Summit held in Abuja in December 2024. It also concludes the institutional process initiated after the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Morocco, reaffirming the commitment of participating countries to the project.
According to NNPC Ltd., Morocco and Mauritania are expected to complete the intergovernmental framework by appending their signatures at a subsequent ceremony.
Conceived under the shared vision of former President Muhammadu Buhari and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, the project continues to enjoy the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is backed by ECOWAS, participating countries and international partners.
Project promoters say substantial progress has already been made, including the completion of Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies, route reconnaissance surveys, environmental and social impact assessments, as well as the development of key legal, regulatory and commercial frameworks needed for implementation.
Once completed, the pipeline will connect with the existing Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, creating a strategic energy corridor capable of supplying up to 15 billion cubic metres of gas annually to Morocco and European markets while boosting electricity generation, industrial development, regional trade and job creation across West Africa.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., 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.
He said the pipeline aligns with President Tinubu’s vision of expanding Nigeria’s gas market and will provide the infrastructure needed to deliver about three billion cubic feet of Nigerian gas per day to domestic and international markets.
Also speaking, Director General of ONHYM, Mrs. Amina Benkhadra, said the agreement marks another important step towards the realisation of the AAGP, describing it as a strategic initiative that reflects the shared vision of President Tinubu and King Mohammed VI for greater economic integration across Atlantic Africa.
She noted that following the completion of the remaining intergovernmental agreements, the project will establish the Pipeline Higher Authority in Abuja and the AAGP Project Company in Casablanca to coordinate implementation and prepare for the Final Investment Decision (FID).
NNPC Ltd. and ONHYM reaffirmed their commitment to delivering the project in line with international standards of technical excellence, environmental sustainability and good governance, describing the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline as one of the continent’s most strategic energy infrastructure projects.
