The long awaited Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project has now taken a progressive shape as the Final Investment Decision of the 7,000km and 3 Bcf/d gas pipeline, which was conceived in 2016, will be signed in December 2024.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Kyari said this on Tuesday at the 2024 edition of CERAWeek organized by S&P Global holding in Houston, the United States.

“There is ongoing engagement on the Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipeline Project (NMGP), which is at an advanced stage, to create a pipeline that will pass through 13 African countries and all the way to Europe.

“The final investment decision (FID) for the $25 billion NMGP project will be made by December 2024,” NNPC group CEO Mele Kyari told the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas, organized by S&P Global.

 In a bid to fast-track the process of achieving the Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, the Nigeria Federal Government has intensified discussions with the Kingdom of Morocco.

A discussion was held on Wednesday, 24th January, 2024, on the sidelines of a meeting between the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Ms. Leila Benali, was anchored by the NNPC Ltd.’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye, and the Director General of the Morocco National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), Mme Amina Benkhadra.

 It would be recalled that the Cooperation Agreement for the 48″ x 5,300Km pipeline from Nigeria to Dhakia (Morocco) and 1,700km from Dhakia to Northern Morocco was signed in 2017 with a capacity of 30 billion cubic meter (bcm) per year (equivalent of 3.0 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day).

The pipeline would traverse Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and terminate in Morocco with a spur to Spain. Due to the international nature of the project, the ECOWAS Commission is saddled with the responsibility to, among other things; facilitate inter-governmental treaty and host government agreements, establishment of Pipeline Higher Authority, and alignment with AU, UN and other relevant international bodies.

 The project, among other things, will help drive the monetisation of Nigeria’s gas resources, maintain NNPC Ltd.’s energy leadership in Africa, and promote economic and regional cooperation among African Countries.