Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline, catalyst for regional cooperation- ECA official

The gas pipeline that will connect Nigeria to Morocco crossing 13 West African states will have a “huge” impact in terms of bolstering energy access and regional cooperation, executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Claver Gatete, said.

Claver Gatete made the comment at the 57th session of the ECA and the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Addis Ababa.

The project was agreed by King Mohammed VI and Nigeria’s former President Buhari in 2016 as an initiative that would bolster energy security in the region.

The pipeline won the support of the west African regional grouping, ECOWAS, and is in the land acquisition stage, with construction to take place in stages, the first of which will link Morocco to Mauritania and Senegal.

Claver Gatete also commended Morocco for its green energy push, citing in particular its role in exporting clean energy, including through the launch of projects such as the undersea cable that would link the country to the UK.

Morocco has also committed to helping African countries meet their food security needs, via its phosphates and fertilizers producer OCP, which has rolled out investments to provide African markets with customized and affordable soil nutrients, he said.