Nigeria, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Benin, Guinea Sign MoUs on Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline

A significant step was taken today in Abuja towards the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project.

Four Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were signed at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) headquarters, marking substantial progress for the project.

The tripartite MOUs were each signed between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) of Morocco, in conjunction with respective national oil companies from Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Benin, and the Republic of Guinea.

NNPC disclosed this in a statement released by Chief Corporate Communications Officer NNPC Limited, Garba Deen Muhammad.

Like the MOUs signed with ECOWAS, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Ghana in 2022, these agreements reemphasize the parties’ dedication to this key project.

Upon completion, the project is set to boost the monetization of natural gas resources in the involved African nations, providing an alternate export route to Europe.

The signing ceremony occurred in the backdrop of the Steering Committee meeting of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project. The gathering saw representation from ECOWAS and participating countries.

This crucial infrastructure project aims to expedite access to energy, ameliorate living conditions, integrate sub-region economies, and counter desertification.

With a sustainable and reliable gas supply, it aligns with Africa’s new environmental commitments while offering the continent a novel economic, political, and strategic dimension.

NNPC Ltd’s Group CEO, Mele Kyari, expressed gratitude towards President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Government for entrusting them with this project.

He viewed it as an opportunity to monetize Nigeria’s rich hydrocarbon resources, thereby expanding energy access, and supporting economic growth, industrialization, and job creation across Africa.

ONHYM Director General, Amina Benkhadra, asserted that the meeting marked a positive step towards social and economic development through energy security and accessibility, aimed at achieving Africa’s comprehensive development.

Echoing similar sentiments, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization, Mr Sédiko Douka, highlighted the project’s significance in strengthening the region’s electricity production capacity, promoting industrial and agricultural growth, and contributing to the energy transition by utilizing cleaner energy sources.