West African leaders have given final political approval to one of the continent’s biggest energy projects yet — a 6,000km gas pipeline that will run from Nigeria to Morocco along the Atlantic coast.
The agreement was signed Sunday evening in Freetown. Ecowas chair and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio told the gathering, “Don’t be surprised when the gas comes your way.”
The Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline is budgeted at $25 billion, about £19 billion. Construction is slated to start in 2028. When complete, it will move up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year to 14 countries, serving an estimated 400 million people before connecting into Europe’s network through Spain.
The project ends more than 10 years of negotiations. Leaders say it creates a new legal and governance framework — the last major political step before financing and building begins.
Energy experts say the pipeline flips the current model. Instead of African gas being exported raw, processed abroad, and sold back at a markup, this line would let West African nations use the gas locally first for power, fertilizer, and manufacturing, while also exporting to Europe.
“If leveraged correctly, the new pipeline has the potential not just to stimulate regional industrial growth but also boost Africa’s power on the international stage,” said Charles Majomi, an energy expert and former Nigerian government advisor.
Prof Ganiyat Adejoke Adesina-Uthman of the National Open University of Nigeria called it “a symbol of what Africa can achieve when countries collaborate.”
The pipeline will be built in phases. Work is expected to start on the Morocco-Mauritania-Senegal stretch, then the Ghana-Côte d’Ivoire section, with Nigeria connected last as the gas supplier. Planners chose the Atlantic route in part to avoid the most volatile areas of the Sahel, though building offshore will drive up costs.
Nigeria’s state oil company and Morocco’s national mining agency are leading development, with support from Ecowas, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Opec Fund for International Development.
Challenges remain. The $25bn price tag could rise with inflation. Securing 6,000km of pipeline across 13 countries plus Western Sahara will require strong security and community buy-in, including drone monitoring. Financing and long-term European gas demand are also open questions as Europe shifts to renewables.
For Nigeria, the project offers a way to monetize Africa’s largest proven gas reserves. For the region, it promises cheaper energy and new industry along the Atlantic coast.
First proposed in 2016, the pipeline is now in its most advanced political and technical phase to date.
