Nigeria and Morocco sign MoU to build new gas pipeline linking Bonny with Europe

NIGERIAN National Petroleum Company (NNPC) officials and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines of Morocco have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)  to construct a 5,600km Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP).

Signed between the two countries and the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) in Rabat, Morocco, the move is a step in fulfilling Nigeria's drive towards harnessing her abundant gas resources. This NMGP programme is a 5,600km gas pipeline project, traversing 13 African countries, which, when completed will provide gas from Nigeria to Morocco and subsequently to Europe.

Upon completion, the project will supply about 3bn standard cubic feet of gas per day along the West African coast from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania to Morocco. Mele Kyari, the NNPC chief executive, signed the agreement on Nigeria's behalf, while Amina Benkhadra, the director-general of Morocco’s National Office for Hydrocarbons and Mines, signed on behalf of her country.

Sediko Douka, the Ecowas commissioner for infrastructure, energy and digitalisation, signed on behalf of the sub-regional organisation. Mr Kyari described the development as a very important milestone in the NMGP project in which all the key stakeholders in the project had come together to reaffirm their commitments to deliver on it.

He said Nigeria and the Kingdom of Morocco would benefit immeasurably from the execution of the project, as it would extend beyond the supply of gas to energise the countries along the route. This project is aimed at monetising Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources, diversifying the country's gas export routes and eliminating flaring.

Thos pipeline will originate from Brass Island in Nigeria and terminate in Morocco, where it will be connected to the existing Maghreb European Pipeline that originates from Algeria via Morocco, all the way to Spain. With Russia recently cutting off its gas supplies to Europe, scarcity has forced the European Union to turn to new origins like Nigeria.