6,900-kilometer gas pipeline takes step forward as West African States seal the deal

July 21, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

Member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) union have signed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) for a pipeline that would span nearly 6,900 kilometers along the West African Atlantic coast, connecting Nigerian gas fields to Morocco.

Jointly led by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project (AAGP) will traverse thirteen coastal countries, with interconnections serving landlocked Sahel nations.

Linked to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, the pipeline will create a new energy corridor with an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters (bcm), including up to 15 bcm for supply to Morocco and European markets.

With an estimated investment value of $25 billion, the link will once completed rank among the world’s longest pipelines.

In a separate announcement, Sierra Leone reported that it had signed the agreement during the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, hosted in Lungi, under the chairmanship of President Julius Maada Bio.

“For generations, the Atlantic has carried Africa’s wealth away from our shores. With this Agreement, we turn the tide. This pipeline will carry energy, opportunity and prosperity along our coastline, from West African soil to West African homes and industries. “Sierra Leone is proud that this defining chapter in Africa’s energy future has been written here, on our soil, in a spirit of unity that reflects the very best of what ECOWAS can achieve together,” Bio said.

The agreement is a result of four years of diplomatic engagement, technical cooperation and strategic planning. The Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2022 formalizing the country’s commitment to the initiative. Since then, the Petroleum Directorate has represented Sierra Leone throughout successive ministerial and technical meetings, participated in negotiations on the project’s legal and institutional framework, coordinated national technical inputs, representing the country’s interests.

“This Agreement is about far more than the development of a gas pipeline. It is about regional integration, shared prosperity and energy security. It is also about creating new opportunities for industrialisation, employment and sustainable economic growth across West Africa,” said Director General of the Petroleum Directorate, Foday B.L. Mansaray. “Sierra Leone is proud to have contributed to this process from its inception in 2022 and looks forward to working with our regional partners as implementation progresses.”

According to PDSL, for Sierra Leone, the pipeline offers significant potential benefits, including access to affordable natural gas for power generation and gas-to-power development, support for industrial zones and manufacturing; reduced dependence on imported refined fuels, new employment and skills development opportunities in construction, operations, and associated services, and potential transit-related revenues.

The project is said to align with the government’s agenda to diversify the country’s energy sources, expand access to reliable power and accelerate industrial growth under the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2024–2030. Its implementation will proceed through the necessary technical, financial, legal and regulatory processes, in accordance with the applicable requirements of the participating states.

A subsequent ceremony will complete the intergovernmental framework with signatures by Morocco and Mauritania.

As the project advances, participating states are expected to establish a high authority for the pipeline, bringing together ministerial representatives from each participating country, with a dedicated project company to lead the execution, financing and construction phases.