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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
