For more than a decade, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline has stood as one of Africa's boldest infrastructure ambitions, a project envisioned not only to transport natural gas across borders but also to deepen regional cooperation, expand industrial capacity and strengthen energy security across West Africa. That vision has now gained fresh drive following a landmark decision by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Member states of the regional bloc have signed an intergovernmental agreement backing the estimated $25 billion pipeline, bringing participating countries another step closer to turning one of Africa's largest cross-border energy projects into reality.
The agreement was signed on Sunday in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The development was confirmed in a joint statement issued by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM).
Designed to connect Nigeria's abundant natural gas reserves with markets across West Africa, Morocco and Europe, the pipeline will stretch approximately 6,900 kilometres along a combination of offshore and onshore routes. Once operational, it is expected to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas annually through 13 West African countries before reaching Morocco. Of that volume, 15 bcm each year will be supplied to Morocco and European markets through the existing gas pipeline connecting Morocco to Spain.
The project, first agreed upon about a decade ago by the King of Morocco and the Nigerian President, is expected to play a strategic role in improving access to cleaner energy while supporting electricity generation, industrial development and mining activities across participating countries. It is also seen as a major contributor to regional energy integration and long-term energy security.
Years of technical preparation have already been completed. According to ONHYM and NNPC, both the feasibility study and the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phases have been successfully concluded, clearing important technical hurdles ahead of construction.
Attention is now shifting to the next diplomatic milestone as the joint statement disclosed that Morocco and Mauritania are expected to sign a separate agreement in the presence of Nigeria's President, a move that will further advance implementation of the transcontinental pipeline.
The latest breakthrough builds on several years of regional collaboration. In June 2022, the Federal Executive Council approved NNPC to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ECOWAS to facilitate construction of the pipeline from Nigeria through West Africa to Morocco and onward to Europe. The momentum continued in December 2022 when NNPC signed additional MoUs with five African countries to strengthen cooperation on the project.
Further confidence in the initiative came in March 2024, when the then Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, announced that the Final Investment Decision (FID) was expected before the end of 2024.
While the scale of the project has inevitably presented challenges including financing requirements, extensive cross-border coordination and the complexity of constructing one of the world's longest offshore gas pipelines, work has continued to progress.
Earlier in 2026, reports indicated that Nigeria and Morocco were preparing to conclude the intergovernmental agreement, a development widely regarded as essential for unlocking the construction phase. With ECOWAS member states now formally endorsing the agreement, the project has crossed another major milestone.
ONHYM believes the pipeline will serve as a catalyst for economic integration across West Africa by expanding access to natural gas, accelerating industrialisation, improving electricity generation and reinforcing regional energy security.
As governments continue to advance the remaining agreements and financing arrangements, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline is steadily moving from long-term vision to implementation. Beyond its engineering scale, the project represents a strategic investment in regional connectivity, positioning Nigeria at the centre of an energy corridor expected to drive economic growth, strengthen cooperation among African nations and enhance the continent's role in global energy markets.
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