Nigeria – Morocco Pledged to Advance Major Gas Pipeline Deal

Nigeria and Morocco have agreed to deepen cooperation in energy, agriculture, and trade following a high-level phone conversation between Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Bianca Ojukwu and Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that their conversation focused on the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, also known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project, a significant infrastructure project along West Africa’s Atlantic coast.

The Ministers described the project as a game-changer for regional energy security and economic integration along West Africa’s Atlantic coast.

The Ministry indicated that technical studies by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) have been completed.

An intergovernmental agreement is now expected to be signed by President Bola Tinubu and King Mohammed VI in the last quarter of this year.

Beyond energy, the two sides discussed collaboration on fertiliser production and distribution, highlighting its importance to food security across Africa.

On the diplomatic front, Nigeria is considering hosting the second session of the Nigeria-Morocco Bilateral Joint Commission with the aim of reviving agreements signed during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Morocco in 2018.

The ministers also stressed the need to re-establish the Nigeria-Morocco Business Council.

They noted that the African Continental Free Trade Area and a bilateral double taxation treaty offer new opportunities for economic cooperation.

Bianca Ojukwu has also accepted an invitation from Morocco’s Minister for an official visit to Morocco at a mutually convenient time.

Officials say the visit is expected to further strengthen ties and advance a shared vision for Africa’s development.