Latest news with #AfricanAtlanticGasPipeline
Morocco World
6 days ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline: ECOWAS Poised to Give Final Approval
Marrakech – The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project awaits its final institutional step as ECOWAS heads of state prepare to give their official approval. This strategic 6,900-kilometer pipeline aims to strengthen energy security across West Africa while fostering industrial and social development in the region. Amina Benkhadra, Director General of Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbures and Mines (ONHYM), announced the project's advancement during the 17th US-Africa Business Summit in Luanda, which concluded yesterday. 'The Intergovernmental Agreement has been endorsed by energy ministers of the concerned countries and approved by ECOWAS,' Benkhadra stated. 'The official signature by the heads of state will constitute the final institutional milestone before implementation begins.' The project, co-led by ONHYM and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), has already achieved several key technical, environmental, and institutional benchmarks. Implementation will proceed gradually, adapted to regional specificities. Also known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, it will benefit 13 coastal countries and 3 landlocked countries, helping to structure a regional electricity market. Morocco views this initiative as part of its broader energy strategy aimed at ensuring national energy security while expanding access to natural gas across the continent. 'Access to natural gas, a clean and available resource, must be expanded across the continent to support its development,' Benkhadra noted during a high-level session titled 'Unleashing Africa's Gas Potential: Pathways to Sustainable Growth and Energy Security.' She stressed Morocco's position as a bridge between continents and a regional stability actor. 'Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is working to play a driving role in African development by leveraging its geostrategic position at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and America,' Benkhadra added. The director general pointed out Morocco's unique status as the only African country with a free trade agreement with the United States, positioning it as a convergence platform between Africa and major global economies. Morocco was represented at the summit by a strong multisectoral delegation led by Karim Zidane, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Investment, Convergence, and Evaluation of Public Policies. The delegation included leaders from key public and private sector organizations, including AMDIE, ONHYM, ONCF, CGEM, MEDZ, MARSA Maroc, and representatives from Moroccan banks. During the summit, Zidane held bilateral meetings with several counterparts, including José de Lima Massano, Angola's Minister of State for Economic Coordination, Rui Miguêns de Oliveira, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Isaac Francisco Maria dos Anjos, Minister of Agriculture and Forests of Angola, and Mohamed Chimi, Egyptian Minister of Public Business Sector. These discussions confirmed a shared desire to strengthen dynamic partnerships in strategic sectors, including investment, industry, agriculture, and trade. The summit, themed 'Pathways to Prosperity: A Shared Vision for US-Africa Partnership,' gathered over 1,500 participants, including heads of state and high-level government officials, serving as a major platform for economic dialogue between the US and African countries. Notably, the US and Angola refused to allow the Polisario Front's self-styled 'SADR' to participate, marking another diplomatic setback for the Algiers regime. This decision reinforces Morocco's legitimate rights over its Sahara, with over 90% of African nations now supporting the North African country's position. The ONHYM delegation also held exchanges with several partners, including the Angolan sovereign wealth fund. Read also: Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Tops President Tinubu's Priorities
Maroc
18-06-2025
- Business
- Maroc
CEMAC Parliament Reaffirms Support for Morocco's Sovereignty over Sahara
The President of the Parliament of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), Évariste Ngamana, reiterated on Tuesday in Rabat the unwavering support of CEMAC member states for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara. 'The countries of Central Africa—namely Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Chad—reaffirm their support for Morocco's sovereignty over all its territory, including the Sahara,' Ngamana said following talks with Speaker of the House of Councillors, Mohamed Ould Errachid. Leading a high-level parliamentary delegation to Morocco, Ngamana also praised the enlightened vision of HM King Mohammed VI for a 'strong and developed' Africa. He highlighted several major development projects launched under HM the King's leadership, including the Atlantic port of Dakhla, a flagship project under Morocco's development strategy for the southern provinces, and the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, which reflects the Kingdom's commitment to South-South cooperation. On parliamentary diplomacy, Ngamana recalled the memorandum of understanding signed in Rabat last January between the House of Councillors and CEMAC to enhance dialogue and strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation. Ngamana also welcomed his participation in the upcoming Morocco-CEMAC Parliamentary Forum on Economic Cooperation, set to take place this Friday under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI. Jointly organized by the House of Councillors and the CEMAC Parliament, in partnership with the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), the Forum aims to establish a structured platform for dialogue to boost economic cooperation and expand trade between Morocco and CEMAC countries. MAP: 18 June 2025
Morocco World
02-06-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
King Mohammed VI: Financing, South-South Cooperation Are Pillars of Africa's Future
Rabat – King Mohammed VI has reaffirmed Morocco's commitment to South-South cooperation as a key pillar for Africa's sustainable development, in a message addressed to participants of the 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend, which opened on Sunday in Marrakech. The royal message, delivered by the King's Advisor Andre Azoulay, spoke of the urgent need for African countries to take ownership of their development agendas and collaborate through shared initiatives. Central to the monarch's speech was Morocco's active role in promoting regional partnerships and economic integration across the continent. 'Morocco has managed to strengthen its role as a strategic catalyst for South-South partnerships, and to serve as a natural bridge between the continent's various regions and the countries of the South,' King Mohammed VI declared. The monarch noted a number of major initiatives led by Morocco that aim to deepen continental integration and shared prosperity. Among them is the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), a large-scale energy project designed to link West African countries with Morocco and eventually Europe. The King described it as 'a concrete example of integrated economic development.' He also referenced the recently launched Atlantic Initiative, intended to facilitate Sahel countries' access to the Atlantic Ocean and to build 'a solid foundation for a new model of regional cooperation.' Alongside this effort, the Rabat Atlantic African States Process was established to promote inclusive dialogue and mutual benefit among participating nations. In his message, the King called for African countries to chart their own path toward growth, noting that 'Africa should seek local solutions to its problems, and be the sole master of its destiny.' He stressed that sustainable progress must come from within and be tailored to the continent's specific context. Financing for development The King also pointed to the major obstacles hindering development, especially the lack of adequate and tailored financing. 'Without adequate financing tailored to Africa's specific needs, our continent will not be able to implement its reforms, nor carry out its development projects, in an optimal way,' he warned. The monarch laid out key pillars for achieving comprehensive, sustainable development in Africa. He called for greater domestic resource mobilization, like leveraging remittances from the African diaspora, and less reliance on debt-generating external financing. He noted reforms promoting good governance, transparency, investor protection, and judicial ethics as prerequisites for attracting investment and generating employment. King Mohammed VI described economic integration as 'an absolute necessity,' noting that intra-African trade currently accounts for only 16% of the continent's trade, compared to 60% in Europe. With Africa holding 40% of the world's reserves of raw materials, the King urged the continent to stop exporting unprocessed resources and instead focus on domestic transformation, regional value chains, and job creation. 'The time has come for Africa to reap the benefits of its enormous potential, capabilities, and wealth,' he said. Tags: AfricaKing Mohammed VIsouth south cooperation
Maroc
09-05-2025
- Business
- Maroc
Morocco, Nigeria Explore Ways of Boosting Economic Ties
In a bid to bolster economic ties between Morocco and Nigeria and to strengthen cooperation in employment and training, Morocco's ambassador to Nigeria, Moha Ou Ali Tagma, held talks, on Wednesday in Abuja, with the country's Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha. This meeting, held in anticipation of the Nigerian Minister's incoming visit to Morocco, at the invitation of Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, Younes Sekkouri, provided an opportunity to review the positive momentum of bilateral ties, which were given considerable impetus since the visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to Nigeria in December 2016. This meeting also provided a platform to delve into the remarkable cooperation in several fields, mainly energy, with catalytic projects for regional integration such as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, as well as to explore ways of exchanging experiences in youth training and employability. Speaking to MAP, Onyejeocha underscored the importance of exploring collaboration avenues between Nigeria and Morocco in training and skills development, to provide the youth with opportunities for better professional integration. She also called for the usage of digital platforms in order to set up appropriate training programs to boost the employability of young people and contribute to economic development. MAP: 08 mai 2025
