The Federal Government of Nigeria has intensified negotiations with the Kingdom of Morocco to expedite the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the $30 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline. Talks between both nations occurred during a meeting between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Ms. Leila Benali.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) revealed this development in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday. The meeting, facilitated by the Executive Vice President of Gas, Power, and New Energy at NNPCL, Olalekan Ogunleye, and the Director-General of the Morocco National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Amina Benkhadra, focused on driving the partnership between the two countries to accelerate the gas pipeline project.
In June 2023, Nigeria, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Benin, and Guinea signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project. The MoUs reaffirmed the commitment of the parties to the strategic project.
According to the NNPCL statement, discussions during the recent meeting emphasized the strategic importance of the project to both Nigeria and Morocco, as well as the entire African continent. The parties discussed the need to complete the project promptly, aligning with the goal of addressing energy poverty in Africa.
The Cooperation Agreement for the 48” x 5,300km pipeline from Nigeria to Dhakia, Morocco, and 1,700km from Dhakia to Northern Morocco was signed in 2017. The pipeline, with a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters per year (equivalent to three billion standard cubic feet of gas per day), will traverse multiple African countries, terminating in Morocco with a spur to Spain.
Given the international nature of the project, the ECOWAS Commission is tasked with facilitating inter-governmental treaties, hosting government agreements, establishing a Pipeline Higher Authority, and collaborating with the African Union, United Nations, and other relevant international bodies.
The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project is expected to drive the monetization of Nigeria’s gas resources and foster economic and regional cooperation among African nations.
