Nigeria, Morocco, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Benin, and Guinea have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) regarding the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project.

This significant development took place at the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja on June 16th, 2023. The project's Steering Committee also gathered to assess its progress and discuss strategic matters.

Four MoUs were signed in Abuja as part of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project. These MoUs were signed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) of Morocco.

Additionally, MoUs were signed by the Société Nationale des Opérations Pétrolières of Cote d'Ivoire (PETROCI), the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), the Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures of Benin (SNH-Benin), and the Société Nationale des Pétroles of the Republic of Guinea (SONAP).

These MoUs, similar to those signed previously with ECOWAS, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Ghana, reaffirm the commitment of all parties to the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project. The project aims to monetize natural gas resources in the participating African countries and provide an alternative export route to Europe.

The signing of the MoUs took place during the Steering Committee meeting of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project, attended by representatives from ECOWAS and all participating countries. The meeting included Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco.

This infrastructure project holds great significance in terms of accelerating energy access, improving living conditions, integrating economies, and combating desertification. It will provide sustainable and reliable gas supply in line with Africa's environmental commitments while offering new economic, political, and strategic opportunities.

Mr. Mele Kyari, Group CEO of NNPC Ltd., expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Government for entrusting NNPC Ltd. with this important project, emphasizing its potential for economic growth, industrialization, and job creation across Africa and beyond.

Amina Benkhadra, the Director General of ONHYM, highlighted the progressive nature of the gathering, emphasizing its role in achieving social and economic development through energy security and accessibility for Africa's total development.

Mr. Sédiko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitization, stressed the significance of the gas pipeline project in strengthening the region's electricity production capacity, promoting industrial and agricultural development, and contributing to the energy transition by utilizing cleaner energy sources.

The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project originated from the West Africa Gas Pipeline Extension Project (WAGPEP), initiated by ECOWAS through a feasibility study approved in 2018. Subsequently, Nigeria and Morocco collaborated through NNPC Ltd. and ONHYM to launch the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project (NMGP).

Recognizing the similarities between the two projects, the teams worked together and signed an MoU in September 2022, merging the initiatives into a single unified project.

The Steering Committee's primary objective was to review the project's current status, discuss the general principles of the Treaty and Host country Agreement, as well as address environmental and survey studies to be conducted. During the meeting, the Steering Committee also paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission.