Nigeria: $25bn Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Dream Drags

The ambitious, $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, known as the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), remains stalled due to perceived apathy from Nigerian officials, according to reliable sources. Project proponents predict bureaucratic hurdles will likely impede progress. Last month, ECOWAS endorsed AAGP, replacing the earlier Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, following member nations' signatures on the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) at ECOWAS' 69th Ordinary Session in Lungi, Sierra Leone on July 19, 2026.

Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu, and Petroleum Resources Minister Ekperikpe Ekpo hailed the endorsement as a milestone for regional energy collaboration. Despite the endorsement, the path forward appears complex due to diverse stakeholder interests claiming various shares of the pipeline's benefits.

An energy expert from Adamawa State cautioned against over-reliance on ECOWAS endorsements, citing past failures of ECOWAS-backed initiatives like the ECO single currency policy. Morocco's King Mohammed VI, who championed the project, views it as mutually beneficial for Nigeria and Morocco. Though President Tinubu has not visited Morocco to accelerate progress, Nigeria's National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) maintains full commitment to the project.

However, allegations of self-serving government officials hindering the process have surfaced, potentially causing delays. The project's funding relies on public-private partnerships, state-owned oil companies' equity contributions, multilateral financial institutions, and long-term gas sales agreements with European buyers and West African utilities.