Nigeria and Morocco are targeting the signing of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) this year for the long-planned $25 billion Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline, according to Morocco’s hydrocarbons and mining agency, ONHYM.
ONHYM Director-General Amina Benkhadra said the project has progressed through major technical stages, including feasibility studies and front-end engineering design (FEED).
According to the Director, the pipeline, known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, would run 6,900 kilometres on a hybrid offshore-onshore route.
She said it would have a maximum capacity of 30 billion cubic metres (bcm), including 15 bcm to supply Morocco and support exports to Europe.
First agreed over a decade ago, the pipeline is designed to transport natural gas from Nigeria along the West African coast to Morocco, with a potential extension to Europe.
Project scope and timeline
The Director stated that the intergovernmental agreement, once signed, will formalise commitments among the 13 participating countries along the pipeline route.
“The intergovernmental agreement will be signed this year,” she said, without giving a specific date.
The agreement will also establish a high-level coordinating authority to be based in Nigeria, which will include ministerial representatives from all participating countries and oversee regulatory and political coordination, according to her.
The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline is being developed as a phased infrastructure project, with initial segments expected to connect Nigeria’s gas resources to coastal West African countries before later phases extend northwards through Morocco.
The company noted that the pipeline will not depend on a single final investment decision. Instead, each segment is expected to be developed independently.
Benkhadra explained that this approach is intended to allow early gas flow within completed sections before the entire 6,900-kilometre network is finalised.
“The project does not rely on a single final investment decision,” she said, adding that each segment is designed to operate as a standalone system.
Under the current plan, early infrastructure would link Nigeria to Ghana, then extend northwards through Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, and Senegal before reaching Morocco.
The pipeline is designed with a maximum capacity of 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually, with about half of that volume expected to supply Morocco and potential export routes to Europe.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has previously endorsed the project as part of broader regional energy integration efforts.
Funding and structure
Financing for the project will be structured through a project company to be created in Morocco, Benkhadra said.
The company will operate as a joint venture between ONHYM and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and will be responsible for execution and construction.
She noted that the financing plan will combine equity and debt, but said investor interest is still being assessed.
“The project is attracting strong interest due to its scale, its phased structure, and its strategic positioning,” she said.
Alongside the project company, a coordinating authority is expected to be set up in Nigeria to align the regulatory frameworks of participating countries.
