ECOWAS Member States Sign Historic Inter-governmental Agreement for African Atlantic Gas Pipeline

Peter Uzoho

African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) project has received a major boost towards its actualisation as Heads of State of ECOWAS Member States signed the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the project at the ECOWAS Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, at the weekend.

AAGP is a transformative regional infrastructure project designed to unlock West Africa’s vast natural gas resources, connect them to major demand centres, integrate African energy markets, and establish a strategic development corridor linking West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco, and Europe.

Designed to deliver 30 billion cubic metres of gas per year, the project has sovereign backing from Nigeria, Morocco, ECOWAS member countries, and Mauritania, and spans nearly 6,900 kilometres along the West African Atlantic coast.

Jointly led by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), the project is intended to strengthen energy access, drive industrialisation, and deepen regional integration across the continent.

According to a statement signed by Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Andy Odey, the latest signing by the ECOWAS member states gives practical effect to the approval granted at the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja in December 2024.

It also concludes the institutional process coordinated by ECOWAS following the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Morocco, and reaffirms the strong commitment of the participating states to the project.

The statement said a subsequent ceremony will complete the intergovernmental framework with signatures by the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

Initiated under the shared vision of the late President Muhammadu Buhari and His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the project continues to enjoy the full support of President Bola Tinubu.

It is being jointly promoted by NNPCL and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), with strong backing from ECOWAS, participating countries, and international partners.

Significant progress has already been achieved, including completion of Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies, finalisation of route reconnaissance surveys, advancement of environmental and social studies, and establishment of key legal, regulatory, and commercial frameworks.

The milestones position the project for implementation.

AAGP, the statement added, will run from Nigeria to Morocco through 13 Atlantic coastal countries, with interconnections serving landlocked Sahel nations.

Linked to the Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline, AAGP will create a new energy corridor with an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic metres (bcm), including up to 15 bcm for supply to Morocco and European markets.

It will enhance regional gas supply, support electricity generation, drive industrialisation, enable value addition to natural resources, and foster new industrial value chains and sustainable employment across West Africa.

Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, said the signing by West African Heads of State gace AAGP the sovereign foundation required to move from vision to delivery.

Ojulari stated, “This milestone reflects the clear mandate of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“The AAGP is central to delivering that mandate by providing the infrastructure required to bring about 3 bcf/d of Nigerian gas to market. NNPC Limited is proud to co-lead this endeavour with ONHYM.”

Director-General of ONHYM, Mrs. Amina Benkhadra, said the event represented another major milestone in the realisation of AAGP, a strategic project jointly developed by ONHYM and NNPC Ltd. under the visionary leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Excellency President Bola Tinubu.

“The project fully reflects His Majesty’s vision for an integrated Atlantic Africa,” Benkhadra said.

Following the forthcoming signatures by Morocco and Mauritania, the project will establish the Pipeline Higher Authority (PHA) in Abuja and AAGP Project Company in Casablanca to oversee implementation and prepare for Final Investment Decision (FID).

NNPCL and ONHYM reaffirmed their commitment to advancing AAGP in line with the highest international standards of technical excellence, environmental responsibility, and good governance.