NNPC, ONHYM, five West African nations execute MoU on Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline

The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project (NMGP) has attained another milestone following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the project by Nigeria, Morocco and five West African countries.

According to Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, Garba Deen Muhammad, during a ceremony held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat on Monday, Nigeria’s NNPC Ltd., Morocco’s ONHYM and the National Oil Companies and commercial entities of Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone executed the MoU.

Muhammad said this represented a significant step in fulfilling the Federal Government’s drive towards harnessing Nigeria’s abundant gas resources through the NMGP.

Speaking shortly after signing the MoU on behalf of NNPC Ltd., the Group CEO, Mallam Mele Kyari, said Africa stood to benefit immensely from the execution of the project which extended beyond the supply of gas to energize the countries on the route.

According to Kyari, “other benefits include the creation of wealth and Improvement In the standard of living of our citizenry, increased cooperation between our countries while mitigating against desertification and other benefits to be derived from reduction in carbon emission.

The GCEO who described natural gas as a critical fuel in the transition towards net-zero, stressed that NNPC Ltd., was well positioned to progress the NMGP project by leveraging its experience and technical capabilities, ranging from gas production, processing, transmission and marketing as well as its vast experience in executing major gas infrastructure projects in Nigeria.

“NNPC Ltd. will facilitate the continuous supply of gas and provide other enablers such as the required land for the first compressor station to be deployed in Nigeria, which is among the thirteen stations earmarked along the pipeline route,” he observed.

Mallam Kyari extolled the strategic vision of President Muhammadu Buhari and His Royal Majesty, King Mohammed VI of Morocco for entrusting NNPC Ltd and ONHYM with this strategic project.

In their respective speeches, the representatives of the West African countries reiterated the commitment of their countries towards making the NMGP Project a reality.

Mrs Sylvia Assimeng Archer, the GM Commercial/Legal Advisor of Ghana Gas who described the MoU signing as historic, said the occasion was. of monumental significance to her organisation in its quest to bring nations and communities together through its operations.

According to Mr Baboucarr Njie, Managing Director of Gambia’s GNPC, his country’s search for hydrocarbons was encouraged by recent discoveries in nrighbouring Senegal and Mauritania, and the opportunity presented by the NMGP Project would tremendously boost their chances to discover natural gas in The Gambia.

For Mr Foday B. L. Mansaray, the General Director, PDSL of Sierra Leone, his country, was excited about the opportunities inherent in the KJ MGP partnership which he said had reinforced the virtues of greater collaboration that will further develop the African continent.

In his remarks, Mr. Celedonio Placido Viera, the General Director of PETROGUIN of Guinea Bissau said his country was glad to be involved in the NMGP Project because it would boost the livelihoods and economies of the countries on the continent.

In her remarks, the Director General of Morocco’s National Office for Hydrocarbons & Mines (ONHYM), Mrs Amina Benkhadra, thanked the representatives of the five countries that signed the MoU.

The NMGP is 9 5,6.00km gas pipeline project, traversing 13 African countries namely Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’ lvo1re, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania to Morocco.

Once completed, the project will supply about three billions stand of cubic feet of gas per day (3bscf/d) on the West African Coast from Nigeria, to the West African countries through to the Kingdom of Morocco and subsequently to Europe.

It would be recalled that in September 2022, NNPC Ltd. and ONHYM signed MoUs with the ECOWAS Commission while in October 2022, it also executed an MoU with Petrosen of Senegal and SMH of Mauritania, all on the NMGP Project.