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West African leaders on Sunday approved a project to build a gas pipeline linking Nigeria and Morocco, during a summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

The pipeline, which will cross 13 countries along Africa's Atlantic coast, will be about 6,000 kilometers long and will transport Nigerian gas to Morocco before connecting to the Morocco-Europe pipeline.

Current ECOWAS President Julius Maada Bio said: "We signed the West Africa-Morocco gas pipeline agreement," adding, "Don't be surprised when gas reaches you."

The National Office of Hydrocarbons and Minerals of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited said in a joint statement that the project aims to connect West Africa's gas resources to major regional markets.

The project also aims to "enhance the integration of African energy markets and create a new development corridor linking" West Africa, the Sahel region, Morocco, and Europe.

The two parties added that next steps include establishing a "project company" based in Casablanca and creating a high authority for the gas pipeline based in Abuja, before attracting investors and making the final investment decision.

A source at Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons said construction is expected to begin in 2028, with the first gas deliveries by 2031.

The project, first proposed during Moroccan King Mohammed VI's visit to Abuja in 2016, is estimated to cost around $27 billion.

The revival of this project was helped by Algeria's decision in 2022 to halt gas supplies to Spain via Morocco, following the deterioration of diplomatic relations between Algiers and Rabat.

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