Nigeria’s Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, says the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project which aims to link the European market is expected to start in 2024.
He said under the project, Gas is expected to be transported through the participating countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco.
Mr. Ekpo who made this known when he received a delegation of envoys from the Kingdom of Morocco led by its Ambassador to Nigeria, Moha Ou Ali Tagma in Abuja, said Nigeria was ready and interested in the project.
The Moroccan delegation visited the minister for bilateral discussion on cooperation and commitment to finalising the Trans-Atlantic pipeline project and also on the development of its fertiliser plant in Nigeria.
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources Gas said when completed, the project will enhance the monetisation of the natural gas resources of the affected African countries and also offer a new alternative export route to Europe.
Expressing Nigeria’s interest and readiness Mr Ekperipe Ekpo said with the country’s position of 209 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, there was need to supply gas to the continent before exporting to other continents.
It may be recalled that the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project has advanced with the signing of four Memoranda of Understanding, MoU, in June 2023 to ensure progress and strategic direction of the 25 billion dollars Trans-Atlantic project.
The MoUs were signed between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines, ONHYM of Morocco and the Société Nationale des Opérations Pétrolières of Cote d’Ivoire, PETROCI, among others.
