By Bassey Udo
The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) Project received a major boost at the weekend towards its actualisation as the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Member States signed the historic Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The AAGP is a transformative regional infrastructure project designed to unlock West Africa’s vast natural gas resources, connect them to major demand centres in the region, integrate African energy markets, and establish a strategic development corridor linking West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco, and Europe.
Designed to deliver 30 billion standard cubic metres of gas per year, the project, which has sovereign backing from Nigeria, Morocco, ECOWAS member countries, and Mauritania, spans nearly 6,900 kilometres along the West African Atlantic coast.
Jointly led by NNPC Ltd and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), with strong backing from ECOWAS, participating countries, and international partners, the project is intended to strengthen energy access, drive industrialisation, and deepen regional integration across the continent.
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.
Also, the signing 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 completion of the project.
A subsequent ceremony would 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 the present government in Nigeria.
Significant progress has already been achieved, with key milestones recorded to position the project for implementation, 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.
When completed the AAGP network would run from Nigeria to Morocco through 13 Atlantic coastal countries, with interconnections serving landlocked Sahel nations.
Linked to the Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline, the AAGP would create a new energy corridor with an annual capacity of 30 billion standard cubic metres (bcm), including up to 15 bcm for supply to Morocco and European markets.
The project is expected to 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 the West African sub-region and beyond.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, who spoke at the agreement signing ceremony in Freetown, said the signing by West African Heads of State gives the AAGP the sovereign foundation required to move from vision to delivery.
“This milestone reflects the clear mandate of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR,” he added. “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,” Ojulari said.
The Director General of ONHYM, Amina Benkhadra, said the agreement signing represented another major milestone towards the realisation of the 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 Ahmed Tinubu.
“The Project fully reflects His Majesty’s vision for an integrated Atlantic Africa,” she said.
Following the forthcoming signatures by Morocco and Mauritania, the Project would establish the Pipeline Higher Authority (PHA) in Abuja and the AAGP Project Company in Casablanca to oversee implementation and prepare for Final Investment Decision (FID).
NNPC Ltd. and ONHYM have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the AAGP in line with the highest international standards of technical excellence, environmental responsibility and good governance.
