Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on global energy giant Vitol Group to support Nigeria’s ambitious $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, describing the venture as central to the country’s energy transition strategy.
Speaking during a meeting with Vitol executives on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima emphasized Nigeria’s vast untapped gas reserves and the federal government’s commitment to providing a stable, transparent investment environment.
“Our nation is a gas economy, not an oil economy,” the Vice President declared. “We have the eighth-largest gas reserve in the world. I will urge you to key into our nation’s energy transition programme.”
He stressed the project’s alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s sweeping economic reforms, citing the removal of fuel subsidies, unification of exchange rates, and tax reforms as indicators of Nigeria’s readiness for foreign investment.
“In the past 25 years, we haven’t had a leader as courageous as President Tinubu,” Shettima said. “We are seriously exploring the option of taking our gas to Europe.”
Shettima highlighted the transparency of Nigeria’s gas sector and praised the Nigeria LNG’s operational independence from government interference, calling it a model of predictability.
“I want you to utilise your dominance in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Associated Petroleum Gas (APG) sub-sectors… We urge you to use your influence, contacts, and goodwill to mobilise resources for this project,” he added.
Responding to the Vice President, Vitol’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeffrey Dellapina, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to Nigeria.
“Vitol is committed, and we are always available to deploy capital when needed. We want to stay in this country and evolve with you,” he said.
Murtala Baloni, Head of Public Affairs at Vitol, also underscored the company’s strong partnership with Nigeria, pointing to its $300 million financing of NNPC’s Project Gazelle during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, a 5,660km trans-African project, will transport natural gas across 15 West African countries before connecting to Europe.
The project, first initiated in 2018, aims to reduce gas flaring, stimulate trade, and boost electricity access across the region.
Managed by a Nigeria-Morocco joint venture, the pipeline will be completed in three phases, linking gas fields from Nigeria through Ghana, Senegal, and eventually Morocco.
