Nigeria and Morocco are set to take a major step towards realising the long-awaited transcontinental gas infrastructure project, as both countries prepare to sign an intergovernmental agreement this year for the $25bn pipeline, according to a report by Reuters on Monday.
The agreement, which is expected to formalise political and regulatory commitments for the ambitious project, marks a significant milestone in the development of the proposed African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, a 6,900-kilometre network designed to transport natural gas from Nigeria across West Africa to Morocco and onward to Europe.
The report read, “An intergovernmental agreement on a planned $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline will be signed this year, the head of Morocco’s hydrocarbons and mining agency said.”
Speaking to Reuters, the Director-General of Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines, Amina Benkhadra, said the signing of the intergovernmental agreement would pave the way for stronger institutional coordination among participating countries.
“Following the intergovernmental agreement, a high authority for the pipeline will be established in Nigeria, bringing together ministerial representatives from each of the 13 participating countries to provide political and regulatory coordination,” she said.
