ECOWAS member states have approved development of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), formalising an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) that establishes the legal framework for the project’s implementation — delivering the political and institutional green light for one of the largest natural gas transmission projects currently planned on the African continent.
The pipeline corridor is being developed jointly by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM). It will connect Nigeria’s gas reserves to Moroccan territory, deepening regional market integration and strengthening energy supply security for both Africa and Europe.
Spanning approximately 6,900 kilometres, the infrastructure will traverse 13 countries along the West African Atlantic coast and establish interconnections with Sahel states. Integrated into the existing Maghreb–Europe gas pipeline, the system will have a transport capacity of 30 billion cubic metres (Bcm) of natural gas per year, with up to 15 Bcm destined for the Moroccan and European markets. The project is valued at approximately $25 billion, placing it among the largest gas transmission infrastructure initiatives currently planned worldwide.
The agreement was signed during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, held in Lungi, Sierra Leone, concluding a four-year process of diplomatic negotiation, technical coordination and regulatory harmonisation among participating states. Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio described the initiative as a landmark for regional integration, characterising it as a vehicle for transforming West Africa’s energy resources into a driver of economic development and shared prosperity.
Sierra Leone’s Petroleum Directorate (PDSL) noted that the country has been engaged in the project since 2022, when it joined the memorandum of understanding that laid the foundation for cooperation among the countries involved. Since then, the institution has participated in ministerial and technical negotiations, contributed to defining the legal and institutional framework, and ensured national interests were represented throughout the project’s structuring phase.
PDSL Director General Foday B. L. Mansaray said the pipeline is expected to accelerate industrialisation, enhance the reliability of energy supply and create new opportunities for investment, employment and economic growth across the sub-region.
Beyond expanding access to natural gas for power generation, the infrastructure is expected to support industrial development, reduce dependence on imported refined fuels and generate revenues from the transportation of the energy resource. In Sierra Leone, the initiative is aligned with the country’s Medium-Term National Development Plan 2024–2030, which envisages diversifying the energy mix and expanding reliable power supply to underpin economic growth.
The next phase of the project calls for Morocco and Mauritania to formally accede to the agreement, completing the intergovernmental framework. Participating countries are then expected to establish a project development company, headquartered in Casablanca, as well as a Pipeline Higher Authority — to be based in Abuja — which will oversee the financial structuring, execution and construction phases of the undertaking.
Source: Petro Angola / Original article: https://petroangola.com/maior-projecto-de-gasoduto-da-africa-ocidental-recebe-luz-verde/
