By Faridat Salifu
Nigeria and Morocco have laid the groundwork for a landmark energy corridor that promises to deepen continental integration and bolster industrial growth, announcing a joint venture to oversee a $25 billion natural gas pipeline stretching from Nigeria’s Niger Delta to Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.
Beyond simply transporting an estimated 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually, project backers say the 5,300 km route snaking through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Senegal—will unlock affordable fuel for local power plants and manufacturing hubs along its path, helping to catalyze job creation and economic diversification across West Africa.
In tandem with pipeline construction, Morocco will pilot a floating storage and regasification unit at its Nador terminal, turning its Mediterranean port into a strategic gateway not only for domestic consumers but also for forward sales to European markets seeking reliable alternatives to Russian supplies.
Morocco’s energy transition minister, Leila Benali, confirmed feasibility and engineering studies are complete, and that bids for the floating storage regasification project will be invited imminently.
Development officials point to the venture as a model of South–South cooperation, noting that it could attract additional financing from Gulf investors eager to back large-scale African infrastructure.
By linking sub-Saharan gas reserves to North African export capacity, the Nigeria Morocco pipeline aims to weave a new energy tapestry one that strengthens regional ties, underpins industrialization goals, and positions Africa as an emerging powerhouse in global gas markets.
