ECOWAS energy ministers have renewed their commitment to the $26bn African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), a vast infrastructure project designed to connect Nigeria’s gas reserves with Morocco and eventually Europe.

The AAGP, stretching approximately 7,000 km, will link multiple countries from the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) bloc along the Atlantic coast, including landlocked nations. Initially conceived in 2016, the pipeline will integrate with the existing West African Gas Pipeline network, allowing the region to capitalise on its abundant natural gas resources for power generation, economic diversification, and reduced flaring—advancing regional and global climate goals.

Beyond enhancing West Africa’s energy security, the pipeline will also create a vital export corridor for African gas to European markets.

In a statement following a meeting at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja, ministers from ECOWAS member states, alongside representatives from Morocco and Mauritania, finalised critical intergovernmental agreements that set the stage for future cooperation and project implementation. ECOWAS officials emphasised the pipeline’s role in regional integration, forecasting it will drive economic growth, job creation, and industrialisation across its route.

Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, called the project essential for boosting energy trade within ECOWAS and expanding the region’s position in global markets.

“The institutional agreements are an affirmation of our commitment to enhancing hydrocarbon and energy trade within ECOWAS and other African countries, facilitating access to natural gas across the region, and expanding our footprint in global gas markets,” Ekpo said.

Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition, Laila Benali, also praised the project’s vision, stressing its importance for both Africa and the international energy landscape.

“This pipeline is very much a political pipeline and that’s also the reason why we as the Kingdom of Morocco really want to thank our partners, our friends in ECOWAS for sticking and be persistent and resistant in making sure that the work continues on this political vision and political project, for Africa and also for the rest of the world,” Benali stated.

In addition to agreements on project standards and regulatory guidelines, the meeting included discussions on advancing ECOWAS’s clean energy infrastructure, including the establishment of a $75mn renewable energy facility.

ECOWAS officials, including Commissioner for Infrastructure Sediko Douka, expressed optimism that the pipeline would address the region’s energy deficit, promote cleaner energy solutions, and support sustainable development across Africa. The project’s next major milestone is a formal signing ceremony, expected at the bloc’s summit in December 2024 or early 2025.