By Peter Omopo
The United Arab Emirates has become the latest international backer of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project expected to connect West Africa to Europe through Morocco.
Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, confirmed the UAE’s participation while addressing lawmakers on Tuesday. She noted that the ambitious $25 billion project has already secured financial support from several institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the OPEC Fund, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Benali also revealed that all feasibility and engineering studies for the pipeline, now officially named the “African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline,” have been completed.
The pipeline is set to run through 15 African countries, stretching from Nigeria’s gas fields to Morocco’s southern city of Dakhla before continuing north toward Europe. It is expected to boost regional trade, drive development, and expand electricity access across West Africa.
The first phase of the project will link Morocco with gas fields in Senegal and Mauritania and extend connections to Ghana and Ivory Coast.
