By Abdullahi Lukman
Vice President Kashim Shettima has sought a partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to promote the development of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), a key initiative aimed at connecting Nigeria with Morocco and other African nations.
In a bilateral meeting with WEF President Mr. Børge Brende on the sidelines of the 2025 annual WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Shettima outlined the potential of this project to transform Africa’s energy landscape, improve regional energy security, and drive economic growth across both Africa and Europe.
The proposed AAGP is to transport natural gas from Nigeria, which is home to some of the world’s largest gas reserves, to North Africa and further into Europe.
Shettima emphasized that this project could play a pivotal role in mitigating Europe’s energy supply crisis, which has been exacerbated by ongoing geopolitical tensions, including the disruption of Russian gas supplies.
He pointed out that the rising global demand for energy driven by sectors such as artificial intelligence, data mining, and cloud storage makes it imperative to secure alternative, sustainable energy sources.
In addition to Nigeria’s own vast gas reserves, Shettima highlighted that many other countries in West Africa, especially littoral states that have recently discovered significant gas deposits, are eager to participate in this regional energy project.
These nations, according to Shettima, would feed their gas into the pipeline, creating a collaborative and mutually beneficial energy system.
The vice-president also discussed the potential for an undersea pipeline route to ensure the project benefits all participating nations and remains cost-effective and environmentally sustainable.
By connecting various African countries, the AAGP could provide reliable energy not just to Africa, but also to Europe, while bolstering economic integration and cooperation across the continent.
Beyond energy infrastructure, Shettima also addressed another urgent concern: the recharging of Lake Chad, which has seen a dramatic decline in size, shrinking from 25,000 square kilometers to just 2,000 square kilometers over recent decades.
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He argued that revitalizing the lake is not just essential for reversing ecological damage but also for addressing broader issues of food insecurity and regional stability.
By recharging the lake through water from the Congo River Basin one of the world’s largest river systems, Nigeria and its neighbors could create a sustainable water source that would help combat the region’s chronic droughts and improve agricultural productivity.
The proposal to build a 2,400-kilometer canal from the Congo River to Lake Chad is part of a broader vision to reshape the agricultural and economic landscape of the Sahel and Central Africa.
Recharging Lake Chad would restore vital ecosystems, support the livelihoods of millions who depend on the lake for fishing and agriculture, and create the potential for generating clean hydropower, further advancing the region’s renewable energy potential.
Shettima linked the region’s ongoing security challenges, particularly the rise of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, to the ecological degradation of the Lake Chad Basin.
He suggested that restoring the lake’s water levels could help reduce the economic desperation and instability that fuel such insurgencies, thus fostering both ecological and political stability.
In his discussion, Shettima also emphasized Nigeria’s broader commitment to economic development under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
He pointed to the series of economic reforms introduced by the administration, including the removal of fuel subsidies, exchange rate alignment, and tax reforms, which are designed to stabilize the economy and create the conditions for long-term growth.
The Vice President stated that Nigeria’s economy is now on the path to recovery after overcoming some of the worst challenges faced in recent years, including high inflation and fuel shortages.
Shettima invited Mr. Brende to visit Nigeria to meet with President Tinubu and explore opportunities for greater collaboration between Nigeria and the WEF.
He also extended an invitation for Nigeria to host the WEF Africa event, underscoring the country’s status as Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, with a population of over 250 million people.
Shettima expressed confidence that Nigeria’s strategic location, coupled with its growing energy, agricultural, and technological sectors, made it a key player in the African and global economy.
