Nigeria and Morocco have officially unveiled a joint venture to manage a $25 billion pipeline aimed at transporting natural gas to Europe.

The ambitious project, which was first agreed upon in 2017, will span 5,300 kilometers, connecting Nigeria to Morocco and then onward to Europe.

Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition, Leila Benali, confirmed the project’s progress, stating, “The project has made considerable progress,” and revealed that the initiative has now entered its execution phase.

She also shared that feasibility and engineering studies have been completed, and the pipeline’s route has been finalized.

The pipeline will transport approximately 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually, passing through several African countries, including Benin, Togo, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Senegal, before reaching Morocco.

A floating gas storage terminal will also be installed at Nador in northern Morocco to support the project.Benali further explained that bids for constructing a floating storage regasification unit in the port of Nador will soon be invited.

Despite initial European disinterest in the project, Morocco and Nigeria may seek funding from Gulf nations to ensure its success.

“This mega project is a significant step in strengthening energy cooperation between Africa and Europe,” Benali added. The pipeline is expected to play a crucial role in meeting Europe’s growing energy needs.