West African leaders sign key agreement for the 6,900km pipeline linking Nigeria’s gas resources to markets across Africa and Europe

Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) have taken a major step towards delivering the proposed African Atlantic Gas Pipeline after West African leaders signed the project’s Intergovernmental Agreement at the ECOWAS Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, at the weekend.

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The agreement provides the sovereign backing needed to advance the ambitious project, which is designed to transport Nigerian and West African gas to energy markets across the region, the Sahel, Morocco and potentially Europe.

The development was announced on Monday by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, who described the agreement as a significant boost to the African Gas Pipeline project.

The proposed pipeline is expected to stretch nearly 6,900 kilometres along the Atlantic coast of West Africa, linking 13 coastal countries while providing connections to landlocked nations in the Sahel.

With a planned capacity of 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually, the project is intended to connect major gas-producing areas with growing energy markets and help establish a new cross-border energy corridor.

The pipeline is also expected to connect with the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, potentially creating a route through which African gas can reach Morocco and European markets.

NNPC said up to 15 billion cubic metres of the project’s annual capacity could ultimately be supplied to Morocco and European markets.

The project is expected to support electricity generation, improve energy access and stimulate industrialisation by providing more reliable gas supplies to countries facing energy deficits.

In a statement, NNPC described the project as “a transformative regional infrastructure project designed to unlock West Africa’s vast natural gas resources, connect them to major demand centres, integrate African energy markets, and establish a strategic development corridor linking West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco, and Europe.”

The latest agreement gives effect to the approval granted at the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja in December 2024 and completes a major part of the institutional process coordinated by the regional bloc.

The process follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria and Morocco in 2022, which formally established the framework for developing the long-discussed pipeline.

The remaining step in completing the intergovernmental framework is for Morocco and Mauritania to sign the agreement.

The project was conceived under the shared vision of the late President Muhammadu Buhari and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and has continued to receive the backing of President Bola Tinubu.

Several preparatory milestones have already been achieved, including Front-End Engineering Design studies, route reconnaissance surveys, environmental and social assessments, as well as legal, regulatory and commercial framework development.

According to NNPC, the work has positioned the project for the next phase of implementation as stakeholders move towards establishing the institutional structures required to prepare for a Final Investment Decision.

NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said the agreement signed by the West African leaders provided the sovereign foundation required to move the project closer to delivery.

“This milestone reflects the clear mandate of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. The AAGP is central to delivering that mandate by providing the infrastructure required to bring about 3 bcf/d of Nigerian gas to market. NNPC Limited is proud to co-lead this endeavour with ONHYM,” Ojulari said.

For Nigeria, the proposed pipeline could become a strategically important outlet for its vast natural gas reserves, which remain underutilised partly because of inadequate infrastructure and limited domestic processing and transportation capacity.

The country has repeatedly sought to increase gas monetisation as part of efforts to diversify its energy economy and strengthen export earnings.

A major cross-border pipeline could provide another route for Nigeria to expand its role in the regional and international gas market.

The potential benefits extend beyond exports. Countries along the proposed route could gain access to additional gas supplies for electricity generation and industrial activity, while landlocked nations in the Sahel could benefit from new energy connections.

The project could also support the emergence of industries dependent on affordable and reliable gas, including power generation, manufacturing, petrochemicals and other energy-intensive sectors.

ONHYM Director-General, Amina Benkhadra, described the latest development as another significant milestone in the project’s progress and linked it to the broader vision of building an integrated Atlantic Africa.

“This event represents another major milestone in the realisation of the AAGP, a strategic project jointly developed by ONHYM and NNPC Ltd. under the visionary leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR,” Benkhadra said.

“The Project fully reflects His Majesty’s vision for an integrated Atlantic Africa.”

Following the planned signatures by Morocco and Mauritania, the Pipeline Higher Authority is expected to be established in Abuja, while the AAGP Project Company will be incorporated in Casablanca.

The two institutions will be responsible for overseeing implementation and preparing the project for the Final Investment Decision.

Project promoters have also pledged to pursue the development in line with international standards covering technical excellence, environmental responsibility and good governance.

The latest milestone comes as African countries seek to expand energy infrastructure while balancing the need for reliable electricity, industrial growth and energy security.

The proposed pipeline is therefore being positioned as more than a gas transportation project.

Its promoters see it as a potentially transformative economic corridor capable of connecting energy resources with industrial centres, markets and communities across a large part of the continent.

For Nigeria, the project could strengthen the country’s position as a leading African gas supplier while opening a major new export route.

For West Africa and the Sahel, it could provide additional energy options and help deepen regional economic integration.

The signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement does not, however, mark the completion of the project. Significant financing, construction and regulatory milestones remain before the pipeline can become operational.

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Still, the agreement represents a powerful political and institutional step forward, moving the African Gas Pipeline closer to the investment and implementation decisions that will determine whether one of Africa’s most ambitious energy infrastructure projects becomes a reality.