The Nigeria-Morocco African Atlantic Gas Pipeline has reached a major milestone after member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) formally endorsed the project during the Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement marks a new phase for one of Africa’s largest energy infrastructure projects. Initiated by **His Majesty King Mohammed VI** and former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, with the continued support of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the pipeline is being jointly developed by Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
Stretching nearly 6,800 kilometers along Africa’s Atlantic coast, the pipeline will connect Nigeria’s gas reserves to Morocco before linking with the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, providing access to European energy markets while strengthening regional supply across West Africa.
The infrastructure is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. Around half of this capacity could supply Morocco and Europe, while the remaining volumes will serve the growing energy needs of participating West African countries.
Following the agreement, the project will move into its implementation stage. Plans include establishing the project company in Casablanca and creating a High Authority for the pipeline in Abuja to oversee governance, coordinate investors and prepare the Final Investment Decision (FID).
Another key milestone will be the signing of an agreement between Morocco and Mauritania during a ceremony to be held in the Kingdom of Morocco in the presence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, further advancing the project’s regional framework.
Estimated at approximately $25 billion, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline is expected to become a strategic corridor supporting electricity generation, industrial development and economic integration across West Africa. Beyond transporting natural gas, the project aims to stimulate investment, improve energy security and unlock the region’s natural resources.
According to ONHYM and NNPC Ltd., the principal engineering, environmental and technical studies have now been completed, allowing the initiative to gradually transition into its operational development phase. The first sections of the pipeline are expected to become operational at the beginning of the next decade.
By securing the collective backing of ECOWAS member states, the project has evolved from a bilateral initiative into a continental undertaking. The endorsement reinforces its role as a strategic pillar of African integration while highlighting the shared vision of Morocco and Nigeria to strengthen the continent’s energy independence, industrial growth and long-term economic prosperity.
