The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to go on with the $26 billion African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project in collaboration with Morocco, Mauritania, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Officials revealed that they are collaborating with other stakeholders to advance the project during the ECOWAS Inter-Ministerial Meeting on the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project.
The ECOWAS Ministers of Energy and Hydrocarbons, as well as delegates from Morocco and Mauritania, attended the conference on Monday in Abuja.
The project intends to stimulate economic growth throughout the region by connecting at least 13 countries.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, emphasised in his speech the importance of the meeting’s decisions, saying they will influence the African Atlantic gas project’s destiny.
Olalekan Ogunleye, Executive Vice President for Gas Power & New Energy at NNPC, spoke on behalf of Kyari, who emphasized the importance of the project having a good effect on the local economy and the quality of life for residents.
In his speech, Ogunleye said, “Today, we come together to make significant progress in the African Atlantic gas pipeline project, perhaps the largest African project, a transformative initiative that promises to connect at least 13 African nations in shared prosperity and development.
“Decisions made here will shape the future of the African Atlantic gas project, ensuring a positive impact on the economics of our nation and the lives of our people. A lot of progress has been made with the front-end engineering design, phase two study is now completed and work is ongoing for service environmental and social impact assessments and the land acquisition and resettlement.
“These achievements underscore our shared capacity and resolve to bring this partner project to fruition, demonstrating both the project’s viability and our capability for effective execution.
“Supported, of course, by strong regional collaboration, which we continue to appreciate, NNPC is well positioned to progress this project by leveraging on its expertise across that production, processing, transmission, and marketing and experience having executed similar projects.”
Strong regional cooperation is essential to the project’s progress, he underlined, adding that NNPC is qualified to see it through to completion thanks to its vast production, processing, transmission, and marketing experience.
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Ekperikpe Ekpo, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), also spoke, stating that the project will change the continent’s energy environment.
“These draft agreements have the potential to transform our energy landscape, boost our economies, and elevate our people at a pivotal moment,” Ekpo said.
He stressed that the agreements should show a strong commitment to growing Africa’s participation in the global gas market, improving access to natural gas in West Africa, and advancing energy and hydrocarbon trade among ECOWAS countries.
Laila Benali, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, expressed hope in her speech that the project will open up new markets and create jobs.
“We have reached a critical phase in the development of this project, and it’s crucial for all parties to work closely to bring it to fruition,” said Sediko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalisation, emphasizing the need for close collaboration.
What To Note
During King Mohammed VI’s December 2016 visit to Nigeria, the Nigerian government and the Kingdom of Morocco came up with the idea for the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) Project.
The $975 million West African Gas Pipeline Extension Project, which spans 678 km, and the 5,669 km Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, which is expected to cost approximately $25 billion, are the two primary projects that make up the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), which has an estimated cost of $26 billion.
By utilizing Nigeria’s enormous natural gas reserves, the project seeks to increase national income, diversify its gas export routes, and lower gas flaring. It will promote regional economic integration by supplying gas to Morocco, 13 ECOWAS nations, and Europe.
From Nigeria to Dakhla, Morocco, the pipeline spans 5,300 kilometers. A further 1,700 km of onshore pipeline connects Dakhla to Northern Morocco.
