The far-sighted vision of King Mohammed VI for a developed and self-dependent Africa leveraging its own resources is taking form with the consolidation of South-South cooperation, regional integration and win-win partnership.
The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, renamed African-Atlantic Gas pipeline (AAGP), has reached this weekend a milestone with the signing by the Heads of state of ECOWAS member countries of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) related to this landmark regional project. The signing and endorsement took place during the ECOWAS summit convened in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
West African leaders and officials welcomed the signing of the IGA and described the project as a transformative initiative for regional integration, energy security and economic development.
Commenting the event, Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai said the West Africa gas pipeline is a “major breakthrough” and thanked Morocco for this regional energy project described as a “outstanding achievement”.
The AAGP is more than just an energy project, it is a major infrastructure project that will boost the regional economy, said Liberian President, stressing the strategic importance of this project.
The Foreign ministers of Ghana, Gambia, Togo and Sierra Leone have congratulated the Moroccan sovereign for the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project.
“We congratulate His Majesty King Mohammed VI on this historic initiative. Ghana is truly proud to be an active member of this initiative within the Economic Community of West African States”, Ghanaian foreign minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said.
He also welcomed the historic initiative to advance the West African Atlantic Gas Pipeline expected to boost African integration and strengthen regional economies for shared growth and prosperity.
Sierra Leone’s FM Tomothy Kabba expressed his country’s gratitude to King Mohammed VI for this initiative, which rekindles in the entire West African region. He also said AAGP is a transformative project that will consolidate economic integration of the West African region.
For his part, the minister of foreign Affairs of Togo Robert Dussey lauded the royal Vision for the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project to advance regional integration and open up Sahel states.
He also congratulated Morocco on this important initiative, noting that beyond its energy dimension, it will help create a corridor linking ECOWAS countries to one another and connecting them to European markets.
Gambia’s top diplomat Sering Modou Njie has paid tribute to the royal African energy initiative, saying that his country is honoured to take part in the signing ceremony for the Intergovernmental Agreement related to AAGP .
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray has labelled the AAGP project as one of the most transformative initiatives ever undertaken in West Africa region.
He also said the project will bolster regional integration, enhance energy security, support industrialization, create jobs, and strengthen economic interdependence among the countries of the region.
The agreement, signed by ECOWAS member states, advances plans for the nearly 6,800-km pipeline that will transport Nigerian natural gas along Africa’s Atlantic coast to Morocco before connecting to European gas networks.
