US Signals Support for Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project

The Nigerian minister made this statement following bilateral exchanges held during the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Washington. On this occasion, Wale Edun led a high-level meeting with representatives of the US State Department, a session attended by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, and the Director of International Economic Relations. "The exchanges emphasized the importance of maintaining sustained dialogue to better publicize the ongoing economic reforms in Nigeria and increase investor confidence," said the minister.

It was during this session that the Americans expressed their interest in investments in the gas sector, particularly in the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project. Discussions also focused on prospects for cooperation in the field of digital connectivity and agriculture. The Nigerian delegation then met with representatives of the Gates Foundation. The latter also expressed their willingness to support Nigeria financially and technically after the partial withdrawal of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project was approved by Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) on June 1, 2022. An agreement was signed with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the realization of this project. In this perspective, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which became Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, has also signed cooperation agreements with neighboring states such as Morocco, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, and Guinea. A final investment decision (FID) for the project was expected last December.