By Ayomide Otitoju
The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) project has moved closer to implementation following the signing of an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) by Heads of State of ECOWAS member countries at the regional bloc’s summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The agreement provides the legal and institutional framework for the cross-border gas pipeline project, which aims to connect West Africa’s natural gas reserves to regional markets, Morocco and Europe.
The AAGP is a joint initiative of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM). Designed to transport 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually, the pipeline will span nearly 6,900 kilometres along the Atlantic coast, linking Nigeria to Morocco through 13 West African coastal countries while extending supply to landlocked Sahel nations.
The latest agreement implements the approval granted during the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja in December 2024. It also concludes the institutional process initiated after the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria and Morocco.
A separate signing ceremony involving Morocco and Mauritania is expected to complete the project’s intergovernmental framework.
Originally conceived under the leadership of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, the project continues to receive the backing of President Bola Tinubu, ECOWAS member states and international partners.
According to the project promoters, key preparatory milestones have already been achieved, including the completion of Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies, route reconnaissance surveys, environmental and social assessments, and the development of legal, regulatory and commercial frameworks.
Once completed, the pipeline will connect to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, creating a new energy corridor capable of supplying up to 15 billion cubic metres of gas annually to Morocco and European markets while strengthening regional energy security, electricity generation, industrialisation and job creation across West Africa.
NNPC Ltd. Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described the signing as a significant milestone that provides the sovereign backing needed to move the project towards implementation.
He said the pipeline aligns with President Tinubu’s agenda of expanding gas infrastructure and bringing about 3 billion cubic feet of Nigerian gas per day to market.
ONHYM Director General, Amina Benkhadra, also described the agreement as another major step in delivering the strategic project, saying it reflects the vision of King Mohammed VI for greater economic integration across Atlantic Africa.
Following the remaining signatures, the project will establish a Pipeline Higher Authority (PHA) in Abuja and an AAGP Project Company in Casablanca to oversee implementation and prepare for the project’s Final Investment Decision (FID).
NNPC Ltd. and ONHYM reaffirmed their commitment to delivering the project in line with international standards of technical excellence, environmental sustainability and good governance.
