West African leaders have formally endorsed the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline, marking the final major political approval for one of Africa’s most ambitious energy infrastructure projects. The agreement was signed during the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Summit in Freetown on Sunday, paving the way for financing and eventual construction.
The proposed 6,000-kilometre offshore pipeline will transport Nigerian natural gas through 14 Atlantic coastal countries to Morocco before connecting with Europe’s existing gas network via Spain. Construction is expected to begin in 2028 and is estimated to cost $25 billion.
The project is designed to supply up to 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually, serving approximately 400 million people while supporting electricity generation, fertiliser production, petrochemical industries and manufacturing across West Africa and North Africa.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Sierra Leonean President and ECOWAS Chair Julius Maada Bio described the agreement as a significant milestone, saying the pipeline represents a new era of regional cooperation and economic integration.
Energy analysts say the project could transform Africa’s energy landscape by enabling producing countries to process and distribute natural gas within the continent instead of exporting raw resources for processing abroad.
The pipeline will be jointly developed by Nigeria’s state oil company and Morocco’s national mining agency, with support from ECOWAS, the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
Construction is expected to be implemented in phases, beginning with the Morocco-Mauritania-Senegal section before extending through other participating countries and eventually connecting to Nigeria.
Despite the political breakthrough, major challenges remain, including securing the estimated $25 billion in financing, protecting the extensive offshore infrastructure, ensuring political stability along the route and addressing uncertainty over future European gas demand as the continent accelerates its transition to renewable energy.
If completed, the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline would become one of the world’s longest offshore gas pipelines, strengthening regional energy security, expanding industrial development and reinforcing Africa’s position in global energy markets.