The Federal Authorities, the Financial Group of West African States, alongside Morocco and Mauritania, have acknowledged their dedication to push ahead within the improvement of the African Atlantic Gasoline Pipeline undertaking.
Officers representing numerous international locations on the ECOWAS Inter-Ministerial Assembly of the Nigeria-Morocco Gasoline Pipeline Challenge acknowledged that they’re collaborating with companions to advance the initiative, which goals to attach not less than 13 nations and foster financial development all through the area.
The joint assembly held on Friday in Abuja was attended by ECOWAS Ministers of Hydrocarbons and Power, with the participation of Morocco and Mauritania.
The NMGP Challenge is an initiative of the Federal Authorities and the Kingdom of Morocco and was conceived through the go to of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Nigeria in December 2016.
The AAGP estimated at $26bn merges two main pipeline tasks: the $975m West African Gasoline Pipeline Extension Challenge, extending 678km, and the 5,669 km Nigeria-Morocco Gasoline Pipeline Challenge, anticipated to value round $25bn.
It’s geared toward monetisation of Nigeria’s plentiful pure gasoline assets, thereby producing extra income for the nation, diversification of Nigeria’s gasoline export routes, and elimination of gasoline flaring.
It’ll additionally help in supplying gasoline to Morocco, 13 ECOWAS international locations and Europe, in addition to integration of the economies of the sub-region.
The pipeline size of the undertaking is 5,300 kilometres from Nigeria-Dakhla (Morocco) and 1,700 kilometres (onshore) from Dakhla (Morocco)-Northern Morocco.
In accordance with the organisers, the principle goal of Friday’s assembly was to current to the ministers in control of Hydrocarbons the newest variations of those group texts and to offer an replace on the general progress of the undertaking, a needed step to consolidate the involvement of all Member States within the undertaking improvement course of.
Talking in his tackle, the Group Chief Government Officer of the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted, Mele Kyari, underscored the significance of choices to be made on the assembly, stressing it can form the way forward for the African Atlantic gasoline undertaking.
Kyari, who was represented by the NNPC Ltd’s Government Vice President, Gasoline Energy & New Power, Olalekan Ogunleye, emphasised that the undertaking should make a optimistic impression on the economics of the area’s nation and the lives of the individuals.
Ogunleye stated, “At this time, we come collectively to make important progress within the African Atlantic gasoline pipeline undertaking, maybe the biggest African undertaking, a transformative initiative that guarantees to attach not less than 13 African nations in shared prosperity and improvement.
“Choices made right here will form the way forward for the African Atlantic gasoline undertaking, guaranteeing a optimistic impression on the economics of our nation and the lives of our individuals. A number of progress has been made with the front-end engineering design, section two examine is now accomplished and work is ongoing for service environmental and social impression assessments and the land acquisition and resettlement.
“These achievements underscore our shared capability and resolve to deliver this associate undertaking to fruition, demonstrating each the undertaking’s viability and {our capability} for efficient execution.
“Supported, in fact, by sturdy regional collaboration, which we proceed to understand, NNPC is effectively positioned to progress this undertaking by leveraging on its experience throughout that manufacturing, processing, transmission and advertising and marketing and expertise having executed comparable tasks.”
He defined additional that the NNPCL is effectively positioned to progress the undertaking by leveraging on its expertise and technical capabilities starting from gasoline manufacturing, processing, transmission and advertising and marketing in addition to its huge expertise in executing main gasoline infrastructure tasks in Nigeria.
Additionally talking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Sources (Gasoline), Ekperikpe Ekpo, highlighted the transformative potential of the undertaking.
“We stand at a important juncture the place these draft agreements maintain the ability to reshape our power panorama, strengthen our economies, and uplift our individuals,” Ekpo acknowledged.
He added that the agreements ought to mirror a steadfast dedication to enhancing hydrocarbon and power commerce throughout ECOWAS nations, offering much-needed entry to pure gasoline in West Africa, and increasing Africa’s international gasoline market presence.
In her tackle, Morocco’s Minister of Power Transition and Sustainable Growth, Laila Benali, expressed optimism in regards to the undertaking’s potential to open new markets and create employment.
In the meantime, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Power, and Digitalisation, Sediko Douka, emphasised the significance of collaboration amongst all events, saying, “We now have reached a important section within the improvement of this undertaking, and it’s essential for all events to work intently to deliver it to fruition.”
The PUNCH stories that through the assembly, important agreements, together with the Intergovernmental Settlement and Host Authorities Settlement for the AAGP, had been superior, reflecting the shared imaginative and prescient of a resilient and interconnected power future for Africa.