The ambitious Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, which is estimated to cost around €23 billion, has recently gained momentum following its approval during the 69th summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held on July 19 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This monumental undertaking aims to construct a 6,000-kilometer gas pipeline that will traverse 13 countries along the Atlantic coast of Africa, connecting Nigeria, one of the continent's leading gas producers, with Morocco, a nation that largely relies on imported fossil fuels.
Originally proposed a decade ago by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, the project had seen little progress until recent geopolitical tensions, particularly the ongoing conflict in Iran and its repercussions on the global gas market, prompted ECOWAS to expedite its development. Construction is set to commence in 2028, with the first gas deliveries anticipated by 2031. In a strategic move, a dedicated company will be established in Morocco to oversee the construction, while the gas pipeline’s management will be headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria. The pipeline is projected to have a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year, which is just over half the capacity of the Nord Stream pipeline that previously supplied Europe with Russian gas until 2022.
Nigeria and Morocco are poised to be the key players in this initiative. Nigeria, ranked as the fifteenth largest gas producer globally and second in Africa after Algeria, aims to reduce its reliance on dwindling Western export markets and enhance its influence within the French-speaking countries of West Africa. On the other hand, Morocco seeks not only a reliable gas supply but also to strengthen its geopolitical ties with Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in light of its ongoing rivalry with Algeria.
Algeria, which currently holds a dominant energy position in the Sahel region, stands to be the main loser if this project comes to fruition. The pipeline would connect to the existing Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline, which links Spain and Morocco, further solidifying Rabat's role as a crucial bridge between Europe and Africa. Since the early 2000s, Algeria has been pursuing a competing gas pipeline project that links Nigeria to Hassi R'Mel, which is part of the Maghreb-Europe infrastructure. Although this route is less complex, traversing only three countries (Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria), it passes through some of the most unstable regions of the Sahel, where various terrorist groups operate.
Nonetheless, significant challenges remain regarding financing and the overall execution of the project, as the institutional and security context in the region remains highly unstable. Major threats include the presence of armed Islamist groups, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and the frequent coups in the countries through which the pipeline would run. With an estimated cost of €23 billion, making it one of the continent's most ambitious infrastructure projects, the overall budget could be further impacted by inflation and the evolving situation in the Middle East.
As reported by legrandcontinent.eu.
