Di heads of state for Economic Community of West African States don sign di Intergovernmental Agreement for di proposed African Atlantic Gas Pipeline during di ECOWAS summit wey hold for Freetown, Sierra Leone, over di weekend.

Dis agreement give di sovereign backing wey di project need to move forward. Di pipeline go carry Nigeria gas go market for West Africa, Sahel, Morocco, and even Europe.

Di Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) tok about dis development for statement wey dem release on Monday by dia Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh.

Di AAGP na joint project between NNPC Limited and Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines. Di pipeline go stretch almost 6,900 kilometres along di West African Atlantic coast.

Di pipeline go dey carry 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas every year, connecting di countries wey dey produce gas to di big markets and di landlocked countries for Sahel.

Di project go also create new energy corridor wey go link West African coast to di Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, wey go open road for African gas to reach Morocco and European market.

Di statement tok say, "Di African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project don get big boost as di ECOWAS heads of state don sign di Intergovernmental Agreement for di project for di ECOWAS Summit for Freetown, Sierra Leone, over di weekend."

"Di AAGP na big transformative regional infrastructure project wey go unlock West Africa plenty natural gas resources, connect dem to major markets, integrate African energy markets, and create strategic development corridor wey go link West Africa, Sahel, Morocco, and Europe."

According to NNPC, up to 15 billion cubic metres of di pipeline capacity fit dey supplied to Morocco and European markets every year.

Di company tok say di project go support electricity generation, improve access to energy, drive industrialization, and help develop new industrial value chains across di region.

Di agreement wey ECOWAS member states sign don give effect to di approval wey dem grant for di 66th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Summit wey hold for Abuja for December 2024.

E also complete di institutional process wey ECOWAS dey coordinate since 2022 Memorandum of Understanding wey Nigeria and Morocco sign for di project.

Di only step wey remain to complete di intergovernmental framework na for Morocco and Mauritania to sign di agreement.

Di project start under di vision of late President Muhammadu Buhari and Morocco King Mohammed VI, and e still dey get support from President Bola Tinubu.