THIS POST IS ALL ABOUT CONSTRUCTION OF NIGERIA-MOROCCO GAS PIPELINE PROJECT WHICH BEGINS IN 2024.
The Nigerian official assured Morocco that its country is ready to start the project and reiterated the need to supply gas to the African continent before exporting it to other destinations. The exchange with the Moroccan delegation, he added, also focused on the development of the OCP Group’s fertilizer plant in northern Nigeria. The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is expected to extend over 5,600 km, snaking from Brass Island to Bayelsa, through 11 countries, namely Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania. It will end in northern Morocco, from where the gas will be exported to Europe.
Construction of Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project begins in 2024
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, says the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project which aims to link European market is expected to begin in 2024. Under this project, Gas is expected to be transported through the participating countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco. Ekpo, while receiving a delegation of envoys from the Kingdom of Morocco led by its Ambassador to Nigeria, Moha Ou Ali Tagma on Monday in Abuja, said Nigeria was ready and interested in the project.
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It was gathered that the delegation visited the minister for a bilateral discussion on cooperation and commitment towards finalising the Trans-Atlantic pipeline project and also on the development of its fertiliser plant in Nigeria. Recall that the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project has advanced with the signing of four Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in June 2023 to ensure progress and strategic direction of the 25 billion dollars’ Trans-Atlantic project.
MoUs were signed between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) of Morocco and the Société Nationale des Opérations Pétrolières of Cote d’Ivoire (PETROCI) among others. Once completed, the project will enhance the monetisation of the natural gas resources of the affected African countries and also offer a new alternative export route to Europe. Ekpo, while expressing Nigeria’s interest and readiness said with its position of 209 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, there was need to supply gas to the continent before exporting to other continents.
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On the fertiliser project of the country, he said with the era of natural gas and components used to boost fertiliser industries, all the value chain should be exploited. Earlier, the Moroccan Ambassador described the project which started in 2016 as the most important in Africa aimed at exporting gas to Europe, adding that between 2016 and 2023 many meetings and MoUs signing had been held.
Tagma said the economic and technical studies being conducted on the project would be concluded early 2024, adding that the participating governments could decide to start its construction in 2024. “The objective of this project is not to transport gas only but also to offer some opportunities for development of the countries between Nigeria and Morocco for supplying of energy,’’ he said.