The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has approved the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, marking a major milestone for one of Africa’s largest cross-border energy infrastructure initiatives.

The approval was granted at the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government summit, where participating countries also signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) establishing the legal and institutional framework for the project’s implementation.

The proposed 6,000-kilometre pipeline will transport natural gas from Nigeria through 13 West African coastal countries to Morocco, where it will connect to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline for onward supply to European markets. It is also expected to boost gas access across participating African countries, supporting electricity generation, industrial growth and regional economic integration.

Designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually, the pipeline is expected to serve both domestic and export markets, helping to unlock Nigeria’s vast gas reserves while improving energy security across West Africa.

As part of the next phase, the participating countries agreed to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to drive project implementation. The SPV will be headquartered in Casablanca, Morocco, while a Pipeline Higher Authority responsible for governance and oversight will be based in Abuja.

The agreement is expected to accelerate preparations for the project’s Final Investment Decision (FID), bringing the estimated $25 billion pipeline closer to construction after years of planning and negotiations.