W’African Nations Approve $27bn Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline to Move 30Bcm Annually

• Ekpo says project will unlock Nigeria’s 215.19 Tcf gas reserves

•6,900km pipeline to traverse 13 countries, first gas due in 2031

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has approved the implementation of the $27 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, a 6,900-kilometre energy infrastructure project designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas annually from Nigeria through 13 West African countries to Morocco before linking with Europe.

The milestone was reached at the weekend in Lungi, Sierra Leone, where Heads of State and Government of the regional bloc signed the Inter Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the project during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority, signalling the formal transition of the project from planning to implementation.