Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, have discussed progress on the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, as the multibillion-dollar project attracts renewed international attention, including from the United States.
The talks focused on bilateral relations and major strategic projects backed by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, including the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline, according to Moroccan reports. The project is designed to transport Nigerian gas along the Atlantic coast of West Africa to Morocco and, eventually, Europe.
The proposed pipeline, first agreed in 2016, is expected to stretch more than 6,800 kilometres, including about 5,100 kilometres offshore, and cost roughly $25 billion. It would pass through or serve several West African countries before linking to Morocco’s gas infrastructure and potential export routes to Europe.
The project has advanced through feasibility and front-end engineering design stages, with Morocco saying the next steps include establishing a special purpose company to handle technical and legal aspects. Reuters previously reported that the pipeline has the backing of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
U.S. interest in the project has also grown. Morocco’s ambassador to Washington, Youssef Amrani, said after recent discussions that the United States had shown “genuine interest” in the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline and in critical minerals, both of which are seen as strategic for energy security and the global energy transition.
Earlier reports from Nigeria also indicated that Washington was exploring possible investment in Nigeria’s natural gas sector, including the Nigeria-Morocco pipeline, because of Nigeria’s large gas reserves.
For Nigeria, the pipeline is part of a broader effort to monetise its vast gas resources, attract foreign investment and strengthen its role as a regional energy supplier. For Morocco, it supports a strategy to become a major energy corridor linking Africa and Europe, while also meeting rising domestic gas demand.
The project could also help improve energy access across West Africa by connecting coastal states to gas supply, supporting power generation and industrial development.
However, significant challenges remain, including financing, security along the route, environmental concerns and coordination among multiple governments. Despite those hurdles, the latest Bourita-Tuggar discussions and U.S. interest suggest that the project remains a central pillar of Morocco-Nigeria cooperation and a growing point of focus in African energy diplomacy.
