The Nigerian government and Morocco are planning to build the world’s longest offshore pipeline and second-longest pipeline in the world to carry gas from Nigeria to Morocco, running across 11 West African countries.
A media aide to the President, Tolu Ogunlesi, disclosed this via his official Twitter handle on Sunday.
He said the partnership, which was between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and ONHYM of Morocco, was originally signed by the two countries in June 2018.
He said, “Nigeria (@NNPCgroup) and Morocco (#ONHYM) are teaming together to build the longest offshore pipeline in the world and second-longest pipeline in the world.
“It will carry gas from Nigeria to Morocco (and Europe), running across 11 West African countries. The agreement for the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline was originally signed by the two countries when President @MBuhari paid a state visit to Morocco in June 2018.
“When completed, the over 7,000km long gas pipeline will link Nigeria with Morocco, across 11 West African countries and extend to Europe. It will be the longest offshore pipeline in the world and the second-longest pipeline overall.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, has said that the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline may not be completed under the Buhari regime.
He, however, noted that the regime would lay the groundwork for subsequent administrations to complete it.
He said, “The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is a continuation of the West African Gas Pipeline project which has already reached Ghana. It is already operational connecting Nigeria to the Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana. We want to continue that same pipeline all the way to Morocco down the coast.
“Right now, we are still at the level of studies and securing the funding for this project and a lot of people are indicating interest. The Russians were with me in the office last week, they are very desirous to invest in this project
“This administration cannot finish the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline but we can at least get it at the point of starting before we leave.”
The Federal Government had last month called on the United States Government to support Nigeria with funds to develop Nigeria’s natural gas resources so as to serve as alternative source of energy for Europe.
It made the call on the heels of the war by Russia in Ukraine, which posed a threat and disruption of gas supplies from Russia to the entire Europe.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, disclosed this while speaking at a meeting with the US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, on the side-lines of the ongoing CERA Week, in Houston Texas.
Sylva said the collaboration between the US and Nigeria in this area would be of immense benefit to both countries as well as the entire globe.
He was quoted in a statement issued by his media aide, Horatius Egua, as saying, “It is in the interest of the global community that there is the alternative supply of gas to Europe.
“The challenge for us to achieve this feat has been lack of infrastructure and we need funding to develop infrastructure for our gas and we believe that the US can provide that funding.”
The minister told Granholm that Nigeria had abundant natural gas resources that could meet European gas demands, but stressed that the problem had been access to funds.
He stated that as part of efforts to boost gas supplies across the African continent, Nigeria had embarked on the construction of a 600km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline designed to take gas to Europe via North Africa. – Punch.
