By Bassey Udo
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Morocco’s ONHYM on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with five Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states for the execution of the multi-billion dollars Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project.
The MoU signing ceremony was held in Rabat, Morocco between Nigeria’s NNPC Limited, Morocco’s ONHYM and Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone.
The Group Chief Executive of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, who announced the signing ceremony through his verified Twitter handle, @Mkkyari said the MoU “marks yet another significant step in the #NMGP project execution.”
The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) Project, which is an initiative of the Nigerian government and the Kingdom of Morocco, was conceived during the visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Nigeria in December 2016.
The Project is aimed at monetizing Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources, to generate additional revenue for the country, ensure the diversification of Nigeria’s gas export routes, and eliminate gas flaring as part of the country’s commitment to the global energy transition agenda.
Also, the project would assist in supplying gas to Morocco, 13 members of ECOWAS and Europe, ensure the integration of the economies of the Sub-Regional, improve the living standards of people within the Sub-Region.
It would also help create wealth and ensure poverty alleviation, assist in the fight against desertification through sustainable and reliable gas supply as well as provide avenue for other countries along the pipeline route to develop and export their gas resources.
The 48-inch pipeline will cover a distance of over 5,300 Kilometres (Offshore from Brass Island in Nigeria to Dakhla in Morocco).
Another 56-inch pipeline would run through over 1,700 Km (onshore from Dakhla in Morocco to the Maghreb European Pipeline (MEP), with a total length of about over 7,000 Km and about thirteen (Compressor Stations.
The pipeline would be connected to the existing network originating from Algeria (via Morocco) to Spain.
It is one of Africa’s strategic pipeline systems designed to convey Nigeria’s gas resources for supply to the European market, to help solve the energy crisis as a result the current Russian war in Ukraine.
In September 2022, the NNPC and ONHYM, which are the drivers of the project designed as part of a strategic plan to create wealth, reduce carbon emissions in Africa, announced a formal commitment to the execution of the project.
The commitment was in the form of a formal partnership agreement between the NNPC, ONHYM and the ECOWAS) on the one hand, and NNPC, ONHYM and SMH, as well as NNPC, ONHYM and PETROSEN, on the other, to pursue the project as a demonstration of their commitment to the global energy transition agenda.
The gas pipeline project is part of Nigeria’s strategic plan to mobilize the country’s natural gas resources to create wealth and improve the standard of living of countries within the African region.
The NNPC GCEO said the project, when completed, would help in the mitigation of the desertification crisis and ensure the realization of other benefits that would accrue as a result of the reduction in carbon emissions.
The NNPC is expected to leverage its vast experience and technical capabilities in gas production, processing, transmission, and marketing as well as execution of major gas infrastructure projects in Nigeria to deliver on the project.