Morocco and Nigeria are advancing efforts towards the implementation of the mega pipeline project aiming to benefit several countries in West Africa.
On Friday, Morocco’s Hydrocarbon and Mines Office (ONHYM) signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) with petroleum operators in four countries, including the Republic of Guinea, Liberia, Benin, and Cote d’Ivoire.
The signing was done in coordination with Cote d’Ivoire National Society for Petroleum Operations (PETROCI), the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Benin’s National Hydrocarbons Society (SNH-Benin), and Guinea’s National Petroleum Society (SONAP).
NNPC’s Group Chief Officer Malam Mele Kyari celebrated the signing of the new MoUs, saying: “We are also pleased to welcome our counterparts from NOCAL of Liberia, PETROCI of Cote d’Ivoire, SNH Benin and SONAP of Guinea for committing to collaborate with us on this project through the execution of MoU.”
He added that the signing reflects a “clear demonstration of the commitment of the Host Governments, the ECOWAS Commission, and the National Oil Companies to deliver on this strategic project, create wealth and value for our countries and other stakeholders.”
The Guardian Nigeria quoted Kyari as stressing the importance of the project, noting that the collective decisions and actions are guided by a shared vision that would “extend far beyond gas supply to spur prosperity and economic integration between our nations.”
Several other countries also signed MoUs with Morocco and Nigeria last year, including Mauritania and Senegal on, and Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.
The signing reflects the countries’ shared commitment to the realization of this strategic project.
In April, Nigerian news outlet the Nation said NNPCL will invest $12.5 billion to secure a 50% equity stake in the pipeline project.
In a speech last year in November, King Mohammed VI described the project as “strategic and beneficial to all of West Africa.”
“This is a project for peace, for African economic integration, and for co-development: a project for the present and for future generations,” the King said.
The project will allow Morocco to host 1,672 kilometers of the pipeline which will benefit over 400 million people in West Africa.
