ECOWAS signs deal backing $25bn Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline
ECOWAS member states signed an intergovernmental agreement in Freetown, Sierra Leone, backing the $25‑billion Nigeria‑Morocco Gas Pipeline project, according to a joint statement from Morocco’s ONHYM and Nigeria’s NNPC Limited reported by Reuters. The agreement marks a major milestone for the 6,900‑km offshore‑onshore pipeline designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres of gas yearly from Nigeria through 13 West African nations to Morocco and onward to Europe, with 15 bcm earmarked for Moroccan and European markets.
The deal advances a project first conceived a decade ago, clearing the way for financing and construction after feasibility and FEED studies are complete. It aims to boost regional energy security, spur industrialisation and mining, and expand gas‑fed power generation across participating states. NNPC had previously secured MoUs with ECOWAS and five African countries, and its former CEO said a final investment decision was expected by end‑2024; delays have stemmed from financing, cross‑border coordination and the pipeline’s technical complexity.
For businesses and investors, the agreement signals progress toward unlocking one of Africa’s largest energy infrastructures, potentially creating contracts for engineering, procurement and construction firms, and opening gas‑access opportunities for industries along the route. Will this revived momentum finally unlock financing and allow the pipeline to break ground, or will financing and coordination hurdles continue to delay the project?