West African heads of state have signed an Intergovernmental Agreement backing the proposed African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), a $25 billion project designed to carry Nigerian and regional gas to markets across West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco and Europe.
The pact, concluded at the ECOWAS summit in Freetown over the weekend, provides sovereign support needed to advance the nearly 6,900‑kilometre pipeline, which is planned to transport about 30 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year — roughly 3 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d). Project promoters say up to 15 bcm annually could be destined for Morocco and European markets.
Jointly promoted by Nigeria’s NNPC Limited and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), the pipeline would run from Nigeria through 13 Atlantic coastal countries, with interconnections to landlocked Sahel states. Backers say it would create a new energy corridor linking to the Maghreb‑Europe Gas Pipeline and help deepen regional integration, support power generation, industrialisation and new value chains.
NNPC Ltd said preparatory work is largely complete, including Front‑End Engineering Design (FEED), route reconnaissance, environmental and social studies, and legal, regulatory and commercial frameworks. The agreement follows a 2022 memorandum of understanding between Nigeria and Morocco and the ECOWAS approval at the bloc’s Abuja summit in December 2024.
NNPC Group CEO Bashir Bayo Ojulari said the signing gives the “sovereign foundation” to move the project from planning to delivery and reflected the mandate of President Bola Tinubu. ONHYM Director‑General Amina Benkhadra described the development as a major milestone reflecting the shared vision of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Nigeria’s late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Two signatures remain: the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Once completed, project governance structures will be established — a Pipeline Higher Authority in Abuja and an AAGP Project Company in Casablanca — to steer the venture to a final investment decision.
Promoters say the pipeline will be developed to international technical, environmental and governance standards. They add the project could be one of Africa’s largest energy infrastructure schemes, offering a major export route for Nigeria’s gas while widening regional access to affordable energy.
