Morocco’s King Mohammed VI highlighted the importance of the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project in advancing continental development, particularly across Atlantic-facing nations.
In his address to the Moroccan populace on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Green March, King Mohammed VI outlined the current shortfall in infrastructure and investment despite the region’s abundant natural resources and human capabilities.
He noted that the Atlantic facade of the continent is in dire need of practical and efficient solutions to these deficiencies, which can be achieved through international cooperation.
The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline is not just an ambitious infrastructure project; it is a beacon of regional integration and economic upliftment.
The King pointed out that this project is envisioned as a reliable energy source for European countries, reflecting Morocco’s proactive initiative to create an institutional framework that unites the 23 Atlantic-facing African nations toward common goals of peace, stability, and shared prosperity.
King Mohammed VI proposed an international initiative to empower African Sahel countries with access to the Atlantic Ocean. He stressed that the challenges facing the Sahel region cannot be addressed solely through security and military strategies, but rather through a cooperative approach that focuses on mutual development.
The success of this initiative, according to the King, hinges on improving infrastructure in the Sahel and integrating it with regional transportation and communication networks. Morocco is ready to share its infrastructural expertise, including roads and railways, to facilitate this transformative shift in the Sahel’s economy and the broader region.
In 2018, Morocco and Nigeria signed a cooperative agreement to extend a gas pipeline along the West African coast, beginning in Nigeria and passing through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and eventually reaching Morocco.
This will not only connect with the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline but also supply landlocked nations like Niger and Burkina Faso with natural gas.
As the world focuses on energy security and sustainable development, the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline stands out as a strategic project that could redefine the economic trajectory of the region and establish a new era of African-European energy cooperation.
