The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, one of the most ambitious projects

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is one of the most ambitious projects, said the CEO of the Nigerian National Oil Company (NNPC), Malam Mele Kyari.

“The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is one of the most ambitious projects we have. It will cost more than 25 billion dollars, but above all, it will connect 11 West African countries to our gas sources”, declared Mr. Mele Kyari in an interview granted to the Nigerian newspaper “Daily Trust”.

Highlighting the importance of this mega-project, he stressed that through this project, “we will create prosperity around Nigeria”.

“We will thus create prosperity around Nigeria, peace around us and a market for the enormous quantity of gas that we have”, he argued, noting, further, that “this gas will end up in Europe ».

Asked about the financing of this high value-added project, the Nigerian official indicated that “the world is ready to finance it”.

“We have substantial indications on the closing of the financing. Many financial institutions came around the table. The world needs gas and it will fund it,” he continued.

Last April, NNPC announced that it would invest $12.5 billion to secure a 50% stake in the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project.

This historic project is expected to set a record as the world’s longest offshore gas pipeline, covering around 5,600 km through 11 African countries.

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is one of the flagship projects linking the two countries through several West African countries. The studies for this megaproject are at an advanced stage and memorandums of understanding have been signed in recent months.

The first was signed between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Morocco.

Two others were signed respectively between Morocco, Nigeria and Mauritania, on the one hand, and Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal, on the other.

Five other tripartite memoranda of understanding were concluded respectively and successively between Morocco and Nigeria, on the one hand, and Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ghana, on the other.

The strategic Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, which emanates from the far-sighted vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, will run along the West African coast from Nigeria, through Benin, Togo, Ghana , Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania to Morocco.

It will be connected to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline and the European gas network and will also supply the landlocked states of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.