West African heads of state have signed a major intergovernmental agreement to advance the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline, a milestone reached during the Economic Community of West African States summit held in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The signing establishes the legal and regulatory foundation needed to push one of Africa’s largest cross-border energy projects forward.
The proposed pipeline would stretch approximately 6,000 kilometers along Africa’s Atlantic coastline, passing through 13 countries as it carries natural gas northward from Nigeria to Morocco. Once it reaches Morocco, the pipeline would tie into the existing Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline network, allowing natural gas to flow into European markets while also addressing energy demands within the West African region.
The project is being jointly led by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines. Construction is slated to begin in 2028, and when fully operational, the pipeline is projected to move up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. Roughly half of that volume is earmarked for export to Europe through an existing connection to Spain.
With the agreement now signed, the project can move into its next phase. A project company will be established and headquartered in Casablanca, Morocco, to manage the pipeline’s development and day-to-day operations. A separate oversight body — called the pipeline higher authority — will operate out of Abuja, Nigeria, focusing on near-term priorities such as attracting international investment and completing the groundwork needed before a final investment decision can be made.
Project officials described the initiative as more than just an energy project, saying it is designed to create a new economic corridor connecting West Africa, the Sahel region, Morocco, and Europe. Beyond energy transport, the pipeline is expected to bolster regional energy security, expand electricity access, encourage industrialization, and help integrate African energy markets more deeply with global commercial networks.
