West African heads of state have officially approved the ambitious Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline, marking a historic milestone.
“Don’t be surprised when the gas reaches your region,” Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio remarked during the Freetown ceremony.
Spanning approximately 6,000 km (3,700 mi), the pipeline will transport Nigerian gas to Morocco, where it will connect to Europe’s existing gas infrastructure through Spain.
Construction is slated to commence in 2028, with an estimated total cost of $25 billion (£19 billion).
This initiative challenges the prevailing model in which African gas is extracted, refined abroad, and then repurchased at significantly higher prices, according to energy analyst Charles Majomi.
Majomi argues this practice must end, describing it as a “complete devaluation of the resource” that Africa is fortunate to possess.
If appropriately leveraged, the pipeline could not only spur regional industrial growth but also elevate Africa’s standing on the global stage.
“In terms of Africa’s regional security and its ability to negotiate a seat at the global table, this project provides the continent with essential utility for Europe and Asia,” Majomi said.
Prof. Ganiyat Adejoke Adesina-Uthman of the National Open University of Nigeria added that the pipeline will open Africa as a corridor to international markets.
She highlighted that the project symbolizes the potential of African collaboration and collective achievement.
