The ambitious $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline is edging closer to the construction phase, following a series of high-level engagements in Rabat aimed at accelerating its rollout.
The 6,000-kilometre transcontinental pipeline, which will stretch along the West African coastline, is a major component of Morocco’s broader Atlantic Initiative for regional integration and energy development. In a recent announcement, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition, Leïla Benali, confirmed that the first phase of the pipeline — linking Nador to Dakhla — will begin before the end of July. This section alone represents a $6 billion investment and marks the project’s formal shift from planning to execution.
The pipeline, a joint effort between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), is set to pass through several countries including Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, and Mauritania before reaching Morocco.
It is expected to transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually — supplying domestic African markets while also feeding into European networks via existing infrastructure. Over 500 million people across the continent are projected to benefit from improved energy access once the project is fully operational.
Significant technical groundwork has already been completed, including environmental assessments for key segments and the recent onboarding of Togo’s national gas company, SOTOGAZ, as the final country partner.
The pipeline is also positioned to unlock wider economic benefits beyond power generation. These include spurring industrial activity — such as aluminium refining in Guinea — and enabling the future export of green hydrogen from Morocco to Europe.
Financially, the project is gaining momentum, with backing from international investors and interest from entities in the United Arab Emirates. Projected returns exceeding 12 percent have drawn the attention of global financial institutions, bolstering confidence in the venture’s long-term sustainability.
First endorsed by West African heads of state in December 2024 during the 66th ECOWAS summit, the intergovernmental agreement defining each participating country’s responsibilities has set a clear governance structure for the project.
