ECOWAS Backs Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline

West African leaders have approved the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline after signing a key agreement during the ECOWAS summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The landmark project will strengthen regional energy cooperation and improve access to natural gas across West Africa and beyond.

The planned Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline will stretch about 6,000 kilometres along Africa’s Atlantic coastline, passing through 13 countries before reaching Morocco. From there, it will connect with the Maghreb-Europe pipeline, allowing Nigerian gas to reach wider markets.

Speaking at the summit, ECOWAS Chairman Julius Maada Bio confirmed the agreement, saying, “We have already signed the West Africa-Morocco gas pipeline. Don’t be surprised when the gas comes your way.”

In a joint statement, Morocco’s state hydrocarbons agency (ONHYM) and Nigeria’s National Petroleum Company (NNPC) explained that the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline will connect West Africa’s gas resources with major regional markets. The project also aims to boost the integration of African energy markets while creating a new development corridor linking West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco and Europe.

The next stage involves setting up a project company in Casablanca and establishing a governing authority in Abuja before attracting investors and reaching a final investment decision. According to an ONHYM source, construction is expected to begin in 2028, with the first gas deliveries planned for 2031.

First proposed during King Mohammed VI’s visit to Abuja in 2016, the project is expected to cost around 27 billion US dollars. Its renewed momentum follows Algeria’s decision in 2022 to halt gas supplies to Spain through Morocco after diplomatic relations between the two countries deteriorated.

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