Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States have signed the Intergovernmental Agreement for the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project.
The agreement was signed during the ECOWAS Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited said the signing marked a major step toward the implementation of the regional gas pipeline project.
NNPC Ltd disclosed the development in a statement issued by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh.
According to the company, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline is designed to unlock West Africa’s natural gas resources and connect them to major demand centres.
The project is also expected to support the integration of African energy markets and create a strategic energy corridor linking West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco and Europe.
The proposed pipeline is expected to run about 6,900 kilometres along the West African Atlantic coast.
It is projected to carry up to 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually.
The project is backed by Nigeria, Morocco, ECOWAS member states and Mauritania.
It is being jointly developed by NNPC Ltd and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines.
NNPC said the signing gives effect to the approval granted at the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja in December 2024.
The company added that the agreement concluded the institutional process coordinated by ECOWAS after the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria and Morocco.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bashir Ojulari, described the signing as a major move from planning to execution.
Ojulari said the agreement provides the sovereign framework needed to move the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline forward.
He said the project would help unlock Nigeria’s gas resources and deliver infrastructure capable of supplying about three billion cubic feet of gas per day to the market.
The Director-General of ONHYM, Amina Benkhadra, also described the agreement as an important milestone for the project.
She said the pipeline reflected the shared vision of Morocco and Nigeria to strengthen regional integration and deepen energy cooperation across Africa.
According to NNPC, Morocco and Mauritania are expected to sign the agreement subsequently to complete the intergovernmental framework.
The project was initiated under former President Muhammadu Buhari and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.
NNPC said it has continued to receive support under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Several preparatory activities have already been completed.
These include Front-End Engineering Design studies, route reconnaissance surveys, environmental and social impact assessments, and key legal, regulatory and commercial frameworks.
The pipeline is expected to run from Nigeria to Morocco through 13 Atlantic coastal countries.
It will also include interconnections to landlocked Sahel countries.
NNPC said the project would connect to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, creating a new regional energy route.
The corridor is expected to have an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic metres, including up to 15 billion cubic metres for Morocco and European markets.
The project is also expected to improve regional gas supply, support electricity generation and promote industrialisation across West Africa.
It could also create new value chains and generate employment in participating countries.
Following completion of the intergovernmental agreement process, a Pipeline Higher Authority will be established in Abuja.
The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project Company will be headquartered in Casablanca.
The company will oversee implementation and preparations for the Final Investment Decision.
