en.Wedoany.com Reported - According to Wedoany, member states of the Economic Community of West African States signed an intergovernmental agreement in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on July 20, formally supporting the advancement of the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline project. The agreement was jointly announced by Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), marking the implementation phase of this transcontinental energy corridor planned for a decade.

The pipeline is designed with a total length of 6,900 kilometers, adopting a hybrid offshore and onshore route passing through 13 West African countries, with an annual gas transmission capacity of 30 billion cubic meters. Approximately 15 billion cubic meters of this will supply Morocco domestically and be transported to European markets via the existing Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline. The total project investment is estimated at $25 billion, with feasibility studies and front-end engineering design already completed. According to the latest timeline, partners plan to make a final investment decision in the fourth quarter of 2026, targeting commercial operation and first gas delivery in the second quarter of 2031.

The pipeline will help expand power generation capacity in West Africa, promote industrial and mining development, while positioning Morocco as an energy bridge between Africa and Europe. The project adopts a modular construction approach, allowing different sections to be built and operated independently, with priority given to the early construction of the connection segment between Morocco and Mauritania and Senegal. The statement noted that the next step will involve Morocco and Mauritania signing relevant agreements in the presence of the Nigerian president.