The Nigeria–Morocco gas pipeline,a $25 billion project aimed at linking West African gas supplies to Morocco and Europe,is progressing despite repeated delays to its final investment decision,Morocco’s hydrocarbons chief said.
“We are confident,” Amina Benkhadra,director general of Morocco’s hydrocarbons and mines agency (ONHYM),said in an interview with Jeune Afrique,highlighting continued momentum behind the project,which is expected to export up to 15 billion cubic meters of gas annually to European markets.
The 6,500-km pipeline is designed to cross 13 African countries,positioning it as a major regional integration initiative as well as an export route.
According to Benkhadra,a key next step will be the signing of an intergovernmental agreement expected in 2026,following the transformation of ONHYM into a joint-stock company to facilitate capital opening.
“For a project of this scale,many elements must be refined before finalizing the investment,” she told Jeune Afrique.
Engineering studies have already been completed,and the project received backing from heads of state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2024.
The upcoming agreement will establish the pipeline’s governing authority and the project company responsible for financing and construction.
To manage complexity,the project will be divided into three main segments: Nigeria to Côte d’Ivoire,the central connection,and a northern stretch linking Senegal,Mauritania and Morocco.
Unlike the trans-Saharan pipeline,which focuses primarily on exports to Europe,the Nigeria–Morocco project is designed to serve domestic and regional energy needs along its route. “It is a vector of integration for the 13 countries it crosses,accelerating access to energy and boosting industrial development,” Benkhadra said.
She noted that Nigeria has strengthened the project’s credibility by reforming its gas sector and presenting a “Gas Master Plan” to investors.
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