
Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline: Feasibility Study, Route Finalized
Rabat – The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project has made significant progress, with key agreements signed, feasibility and engineering studies completed. Plans are also underway to create a special-purpose company and make the final investment decision by the end of 2025.
Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, shared the latest developments on the project during a session in the Council of Advisors, the upper house of Morocco's parliament.
Speaking at the oral questions session, Benali revealed that the latest ministerial meeting concerning the project had resulted in the approval of an agreement between the participating countries, along with the Host Country Agreement. These agreements mark a significant step forward in the project, which aims to connect Nigeria's vast natural gas reserves to Morocco, and further extend to Europe.
The minister explained that the project will proceed in phases, noting that the feasibility study and initial engineering studies have been completed, along with determining the optimal route for the pipeline.
The focus currently is on creating a special-purpose company between Morocco and Nigeria to oversee the implementation of the project. This company will be responsible for the final investment decision, which is expected to be made by the end of this year.
Read also: UAE To Invest in Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline Project
The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, which is estimated to cost approximately $25 billion, represents a major driver for economic, industrial, and digital development, Benali says.
It is also expected to create thousands of job opportunities and serve as a key factor in transforming Morocco into a primary energy transit hub linking Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic basin.
One of the key components of this project is the creation of a national gas infrastructure. The Moroccan government launched a call for interest in April 2025 to develop infrastructure that will connect the northern regions of Morocco, including the port of Nador, to cities such as Kenitra, Mohammedia, and eventually to Dakhla. This expansion will help integrate the national network with the Nigeria-Morocco pipeline.
The pipeline itself will span approximately 6,000 kilometers, passing through several African countries, with an annual capacity of 15 to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas. It is expected to provide access to energy for about 400 million people across 13 countries, dramatically improving energy access in the region. Tags: gas projectMorocco Nigeria
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Ya Biladi
12 hours ago
- Ya Biladi
Pascal Blanchard : «Today, we're inventing countries of departure, destination, and waiting»
مدة القراءة: 3' How do you assess the evolution of migration policy in Africa, particularly in Morocco? Are African countries still under European influence, or are they asserting their own vision more strongly? That's a broad question. To put it simply: for a long time, migration policies were shaped solely from the perspective of destination countries—namely, the West. Migration flows were either restricted, organized, or redirected. But the world has changed. We are no longer in the era of empires. Countries of origin, or transit countries, have started to be integrated into migration policies. We're no longer working only with immediate countries of origin, but also with those on the periphery. And what does this periphery offer? It allows for the anticipation of departures, the blocking of arrivals, or the «storage» of migrants. Migration has become a diplomatic issue. The link between migration and development has been explored, and we've started thinking in terms of larger geographic zones. It became clear that migration is not linear. People don't leave point A to go directly to point B, they often pass through five or six countries. «South-South» migration often precedes «South-North» migration. And all of this means that countries previously on the margins of migration policy, like Morocco, are now becoming central. We see the same dynamic in Southeast Asia, along China's borders, or between Papua New Guinea and Australia. The world is changing. Today, we can map migration across three categories: destination countries, origin countries, and intermediary countries. This is a new reality and it's the future. Morocco finds itself between two worlds. It is no longer just a country of departure, which it still is, nor merely a country of destination, which it is increasingly becoming, although that perception is not yet widespread. It is also a key transit country, a mediator between North and South. Is migration becoming a political issue in its own right? It already is. We're witnessing the commodification of migration flow management. There's a transactional relationship between wealthy and poorer countries, and that relationship generates potential financial gain. Look at Libya, or the EU-Turkey agreement, it's massive. The same applies to Tunisia and Italy, or the UK's plan to send migrants to Rwanda. They were talking about more than €110,000 per migrant! So yes, there is a migration economy. It has long existed informally, through smugglers, in the Sahara, the Mediterranean, the English Channel. But today, this economy is being institutionalized. States and major international organizations are taking hold of it. And it's not stopping anytime soon. The model of «peripheral camps» is becoming entrenched. It was tested on the Rohingya, on Syrian refugees. Tomorrow, it will apply to climate migrants. We will pay Southern countries to host 2, 3, even 10 million people. It will be outsourced migrant management. And this model isn't limited to poor countries. There's a logic: yes, a migrant costs money, but yes, a migrant also generates revenue. It's harsh to say, but it's reality. And we prefer for it to happen far from home. And that instinct isn't uniquely European, Moroccans also prefer that it doesn't happen in their own country. In light of these changes, where do you think we're headed? Toward an institutionalized outsourcing model, a fully assumed political economy of migration, and the multiplication of buffer zones. We are entering a new logic where migration becomes a diplomatic lever, even a tool of geopolitical pressure. We saw it with Turkey and Europe. We see it with Morocco and Spain. With Tunisia and Italy. With Libya, despite its instability. Countries acting as intermediaries are becoming indispensable players. They negotiate, bargain, resist, or cooperate. It's no coincidence that the African Union chose Rabat as the headquarters of its Migration Observatory. Morocco is not an isolated case, but rather an emblematic example of these global shifts.


Ya Biladi
12 hours ago
- Ya Biladi
France : New Moroccan consulate opens in Mantes-la-Jolie
A new Moroccan Consulate General was officially inaugurated on Friday in Mantes-la-Jolie, in the Paris region, further strengthening Morocco's consular network in France, which now includes 17 consulates. This opening is part of a broader strategy focused on proximity, modernization, and efficiency to better serve Moroccan nationals abroad. The new consulate is the result of an initiative by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, aimed at addressing the needs of a large and active diaspora deeply connected to their country of origin. The inauguration ceremony—covering three departments in the Île-de-France region: Yvelines, Seine-Maritime, and Eure, home to nearly 156,000 Moroccans—was attended by Ambassador Samira Sitail; Fouad Kadmiri, Director of Consular and Social Affairs at the Ministry; and Mustapha El Bouazzaoui, Consul General of Morocco in Mantes-la-Jolie. French officials were also present, including the Prefect of Yvelines, Frédéric Rose; President of the Yvelines Departmental Council, Pierre Bédier; and the Mayor of Mantes-la-Jolie, Raphaël Cognet, along with numerous local elected officials, institutional representatives, and members of the Moroccan community from the covered departments. In her speech, Ambassador Sitail welcomed the opening, calling it a «source of pride and connection with Morocco» for the Moroccan communities in the three departments. She also praised the support of «our French friends» and their role in bringing the project to fruition. Fouad Kadmiri noted that the inauguration coincides with the launch of the Marhaba operation, as many Moroccans prepare to return home for the summer holidays, adding that the new consulate «comes at an opportune time to help the entire consular network rise to the occasion». For his part, Consul General Mustapha El Bouazzaoui said the consulate—which brings the total number of Moroccan consulates in Île-de-France to six—will be operational starting Monday. He noted it responds to a long-standing demand from Moroccans in Yvelines, Seine-Maritime, and Eure, with over 780 appointment requests already registered through the dedicated application.


Ya Biladi
12 hours ago
- Ya Biladi
Morocco and CEMAC sign cooperation pact to boost economic ties and regional integration
A cooperation agreement was signed on Friday in Laayoune between the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the business associations of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) countries. This took place on the sidelines of the Parliamentary Forum on economic cooperation between Morocco and the regional bloc's Parliament. Signed by CGEM President Chakib Alj and representatives of the CEMAC business associations, the agreement establishes a Morocco-CEMAC Task Force as a joint platform for dialogue, coordination, and economic cooperation. Its mission is to structure collaboration, encourage information exchange, share best practices and business opportunities, support joint projects between companies from both regions, and serve as a proactive interface between Moroccan and CEMAC business communities. The agreement also creates a Steering Committee, co-chaired by a CGEM representative and one from each CEMAC business association. This committee will set up sectoral working groups, bringing together business leaders, experts, and institutional partners around priority themes. The parties commit to cooperating on identifying high-potential sectors of complementarity such as agro-industry, infrastructure, renewable energy, manufacturing industries, and digital services. They also pledged to facilitate business partnerships through matchmaking programs and B2B meetings, organize regular economic forums, and promote cross-investment, regional integration, and support for technology and skills transfer via training, expertise exchange, and industrial co-development projects. In a statement to MAP during the ceremony, Chakib Alj highlighted the complementarities between Morocco's and CEMAC economies, emphasizing the agreement to identify practical actions to boost economic ties. «Our goal is to create momentum between Moroccan companies and their CEMAC counterparts, fostering synergy and knowledge exchange», said the CGEM president. Similarly, Jean Daniel Ovaga, Chairman of the Congolese National Union of Economic Operators (UNOC), stressed that the agreement enables the private sector—a key driver of economic growth and value creation—to fully contribute to identifying priority cooperation sectors benefiting Morocco and CEMAC populations. «This is a strong commitment to move forward together, rebuild Africa, and bring growth and expertise to local communities», he stated. The Parliamentary Forum on economic cooperation between Morocco and the CEMAC Parliament aims to promote joint development projects and contribute to Africa's economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.