Morocco’s energy ministry is intensifying efforts to attract U.S. investors for its $25 billion gas pipeline project with Nigeria, a landmark initiative aimed at connecting West Africa’s vast gas resources to Morocco and European markets.
Local sources on Monday said Morocco pitched the project to international investors at the U.S.-Africa Energy Forum held on August 6–7 in Texas, showing a major step toward securing foreign support for the long-delayed project.
Nawfal Drari, Director of Project Finance at Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), stressing the momentum behind the project.
He described it as being in a “strategic phase” and highlighted the opportunities it presents.
ONHYM is the lead promoter of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, which was formalized under a cooperation agreement signed by both countries in 2017.
Despite its promise, the project has yet to reach a final investment decision (FID).
“For Morocco, the pipeline represents more than just energy infrastructure,” Drari said.
“The government views it as a catalyst for economic transformation that will create thousands of jobs and establish the North African country as a primary energy transit hub connecting Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic basin.”
The completion of the pipeline is also viewed as critical to Europe’s energy diversification efforts amid the geopolitical disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Nigeria’s vice president, Kashim Shetima stressed this sentiment earlier in the year.
“We seek your collaboration in fundamental areas. One is on the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), which will connect Nigeria to Morocco and other African countries,” Shetima told World Economic Forum President Børge Brende in January.
“With the geopolitical challenges in Europe from Russian gas problems and the rising demand for energy because of artificial intelligence, data mining, and storage, we will be in a vantage position to take advantage of this opportunity,” he added.
What you should know
Formally known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), the Nigeria-Morocco initiative is envisioned as a 6,000-kilometre mega-project crossing multiple African countries.
It is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Nigeria’s abundant reserves through West Africa to Morocco, before linking into Europe’s energy network.
Nigeria, with over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, holds one of Africa’s largest untapped energy resources.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) noted in April that projects such as the Nigeria-Morocco pipeline could enable the country to expand its footprint in the growing global LNG market.
Europe already imports about one-third of Nigeria’s LNG, and additional pipeline supply would further cement this relationship.
Morocco hopes that backing from U.S. investors could provide the breakthrough needed to push the project to financial close after years of delay.
The timing may prove favourable, as American investors are showing growing interest in large-scale energy infrastructure projects across Africa.
