Amina Benkhadra, Director General of Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), has confirmed that Morocco and Nigeria will jointly retain at least 51% of the capital of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project, ensuring both countries play a central role in its future governance.
The announcement follows the approval of the project’s founding intergovernmental agreement by the heads of state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on July 19, 2026.
According to Benkhadra, the pipeline will connect gas-producing areas with consumption markets, particularly in African regions that need access to affordable, sustainable and competitive energy.
Morocco is expected to host a new official signing ceremony for the project after the summer, in the presence of King Mohammed VI, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, according to TelQuel.
The project is the result of nearly a decade of diplomatic, technical and financial cooperation between Morocco, Nigeria and the participating African countries. It is expected to strengthen the continent’s energy security, support industrial development, attract investment and create jobs, while supplying gas to several West African countries and potentially connecting them to European markets.
Morocco and Nigeria’s decision to retain a majority stake underlines the African character of the project. Its capital will also be open to the countries crossed by the pipeline, as well as international financial institutions and investors interested in supporting its development.
