The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders have formally approved the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP), moving one of Africa’s most ambitious energy infrastructure projects closer to implementation as the region seeks to strengthen energy security, boost regional trade and expand gas exports to Europe.
The agreement was endorsed during the ECOWAS Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, providing political backing for a project expected to reshape energy connectivity across West Africa. Stretching approximately 6,000 kilometres, the pipeline will transport natural gas from Nigeria through 13 West African countries along the Atlantic coast before reaching Morocco, where it will connect to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, creating a new export route to European markets.
Speaking after the agreement was signed, outgoing ECOWAS Chair and Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio announced that member states had approved the project, expressing confidence that it would eventually deliver gas supplies across the region.
Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited said the pipeline is designed to unlock West Africa’s vast natural gas reserves while supplying regional markets that continue to face significant energy deficits.
The two organisations said the project is intended to deepen the integration of African energy markets while creating a new economic corridor connecting West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco and Europe. The next phase of the project will focus on establishing a dedicated project company headquartered in Casablanca and a governing authority based in Abuja. These institutions will oversee financing, governance and implementation before the partners seek private investors and reach a final investment decision.
According to ONHYM, construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first gas deliveries targeted for 2031, although the timeline remains subject to financing and regulatory approvals.
First proposed during King Mohammed VI’s state visit to Nigeria in 2016, the project is estimated to cost around $27 billion, making it one of the largest cross-border energy infrastructure investments ever undertaken on the African continent.
Momentum behind the pipeline has increased in recent years following Algeria’s decision in 2022 to suspend gas exports to Spain through Morocco after diplomatic relations between Algiers and Rabat deteriorated. The disruption highlighted Europe’s growing interest in diversifying gas supplies while creating an opportunity for Nigeria and Morocco to position the NMGP as an alternative export corridor.
Beyond supplying Europe, the project is expected to improve energy access across participating West African countries by supporting electricity generation, industrialisation and regional manufacturing.
Several countries along the route currently face chronic energy shortages despite being located near some of the world’s largest natural gas reserves.
If completed on schedule, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline would rank among Africa’s most strategically significant energy projects. In addition to creating a new export route for Nigerian gas, the project, as adopted by the ECOWAS leaders, has the potential to strengthen regional integration, stimulate industrial development and reinforce Africa’s role as an increasingly important supplier in the global natural gas market.
