The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has revealed that the federal government is intensifying discussions with Morocco to fast-track the final investment decision (FID) on the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline (NMGP).
In a statement issued by Olufemi Soneye, the Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, it was disclosed that recent talks took place during a meeting between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali.
The discussions focused on expediting the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project, aligning with agreements made by both nations in 2022.
Both parties emphasized the project’s significance to their economies and the urgency to address energy poverty on the African continent.
The agreement for the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project was initially signed in 2017.
The project entails a 48” x 5,300Km pipeline from Nigeria to Dhakia, Morocco, and further extends 1,700km from Dhakia to Northern Morocco.
Designed with a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters per year, equivalent to 3.0 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day, the pipeline is set to traverse multiple countries, including the Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana, and others, terminating 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, the establishment of Pipeline Higher Authority, and alignment with AU, UN and other relevant international bodies,” the statement reads.
“The project will help drive the monetization of Nigeria’s gas resources, maintain NNPC Ltd.’s energy leadership in Africa, and promote economic and regional cooperation among African Countries.”
