Nigeria is setting its sights on becoming a major natural gas supplier to Europe through a bold new infrastructure project—the Nigeria-Morocco undersea gas pipeline, which is expected to cost approximately $25 billion.
The ambitious plan was highlighted on Monday during a high-level meeting between Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and executives from global energy giant Vitol Group, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Shettima, President Bola Tinubu’s sweeping economic overhaul is already transforming Nigeria into a top destination for global investors, particularly in the energy sector.
“In the past 25 years, we have not had a leader who has the courage to take far-reaching decisions as he has taken—the removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the multiple exchange rates, and the tax reforms,” Shettima said.
The pipeline is designed to carry Nigerian natural gas across the West African coast, through Morocco, and ultimately into Europe, positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global energy transition. Shettima emphasized the importance of the country’s gas reserves as a strategic asset in an evolving global energy landscape.
“I will urge you to key into our nation’s energy transition programme. I want you to utilise your dominance in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Associated Petroleum Gas (APG) sub-sectors,” he told Vitol representatives.
He also framed Nigeria’s gas sector as a dependable and transparent area for investment, noting that gas—not oil—is the country’s true economic engine.
“The world is changing, and ours is actually a gas and not an oil economy. We have the eighth-largest gas reserve in the world. We really want to harness the potential in the gas sector fundamentally because of the stability and transparency in that arena.”
Shettima praised the operational model of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), which he said functions with little government interference and has proven to be a stable source of revenue.
“The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) has been largely insulated from government interference. What we are getting from the NLNG is so predictable. This is why we are seriously exploring the option of taking our gas to Europe.”
Acknowledging the massive financial and technical demands of the project, Shettima stressed that Nigeria is more interested in Vitol’s expertise than its capital.
“It is an expensive venture requiring about $25 billion, and of course, the technical expertise. We need you more for your technical expertise than for your money. Gas supply stability counts; that is why we are exploring the option of an undersea gas pipeline.”
Calling for collaboration, he encouraged Vitol to support the initiative through its global networks.
“We urge you to use your influence, contacts, and goodwill to mobilise resources for this project. It will be a completely transparent management structure. I will urge you to come on board with this project,” he added.
Vitol’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeffrey Dellapina, expressed strong interest in deepening the company’s long-standing engagement in Nigeria.
“This has been an incredibly close and important country for Vitol for a very long time. We have participated in a lot of things from the downstream, financing, trading, and government support when needed.”
He reaffirmed Vitol’s long-term vision in Nigeria: “We do want to maintain an understanding that Vitol is committed, and we are always available to deploy capital when needed. We want to say that Vitol is committed to this country, and we want to stay in this country and evolve with you.”
Also speaking at the meeting, Murtala Baloni, Vitol’s Head of Public Affairs, pointed to previous collaborations as proof of the company’s ongoing commitment.
“We support the business of the government in ways that we can in the deployment of capital. We were one of the major funders of Project Gazelle, a crude oil-backed forward-sale finance facility by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited), where we put in $300 million during the COVID-19 period,” he explained.
If completed, the pipeline could reshape energy dynamics in the region, strengthen ties with Europe, and provide a critical outlet for Nigeria’s vast gas resources.
