The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) project has received a notable boost towards its realisation, after Heads of State of ECOWAS member states signed the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the project at the ECOWAS Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, at the weekend.
The AAGP is a transformative regional infrastructure project designed to unlock West Africa's vast natural gas resources, connect them to major demand centres, integrate African energy markets, and establish a strategic development corridor linking West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco and Europe.
Designed to deliver 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually, the project has sovereign backing from Nigeria, Morocco, ECOWAS member countries and Mauritania, and 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), it is intended to strengthen energy access, drive industrialisation and deepen regional integration across the continent.
The signing gives practical effect to the approval granted at the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja in December 2024.
It further concludes the institutional process coordinated by ECOWAS following a 2022 memorandum of understanding between Nigeria and Morocco, reaffirming the commitment of participating states to the project.
A subsequent ceremony is expected to complete the intergovernmental framework, with signatures still required from the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Initiated under the shared vision of the late President Muhammadu Buhari and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, the project continues to enjoy the backing of President Bola Tinubu, and is being jointly promoted by NNPC Ltd and ONHYM, with support from ECOWAS, participating countries and international partners.
Substantial progress has already been made, including the completion of Front-End Engineering Design studies, the finalisation of route reconnaissance surveys, advancement of environmental and social studies, and the establishment of key legal, regulatory and commercial frameworks, milestones that organisers say position the project for implementation.
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The pipeline will run from Nigeria to Morocco through thirteen Atlantic coastal countries, with interconnections serving landlocked Sahel nations.
Linked to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, it will create a new energy corridor with an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic metres, including up to 15 billion cubic metres earmarked for supply to Morocco and European markets.
Organisers added that it will enhance regional gas supply, support electricity generation, drive industrialisation, enable value addition to natural resources, and foster new industrial value chains and employment across West Africa.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said the signing by West African heads of state gave the project the sovereign foundation required to move from vision to delivery.
"This milestone reflects the clear mandate of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
"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," he said.
Director General of ONHYM, Amina Benkhadra, described the event as another milestone in the project's development, calling it a joint effort between ONHYM and NNPC Ltd under the leadership of King Mohammed VI and President Tinubu.
"The Project fully reflects His Majesty's vision for an integrated Atlantic Africa," she said.
Following the anticipated signatures from Morocco and Mauritania, the project will move to establish the Pipeline Higher Authority in Abuja and the AAGP Project Company in Casablanca, both of which will oversee implementation and prepare for a Final Investment Decision.
NNPC Ltd and ONHYM have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the project in line with international standards of technical excellence, environmental responsibility and good governance.
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