Amina Benkhadra. Credit: Energy Federation
The strategic project of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (Nigeria-Morocco) is moving forward in a ” extremely favorable ” and this, thanks to the commitment of all the countries crossed, underlined the general director of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), Amina Benkhadra. The preparations, she thus underlined, are ” practically in the final stages to exchange with all the countries crossed, represented by their experts, representatives of their energy ministries and national companies ».
In the Ivorian economic capital, the official is participating, with the Moroccan delegation, which includes in addition to representatives of ONHYM, officials from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, in the regional workshop for the review and validation of the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) and the host country agreement (HGA) of the Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline project (Nigeria-Morocco). This workshop, initiated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and which is being held from August 27 to 30, offers the opportunity to finalize the provisions of the draft texts following the comments and recommendations shared and discussed by the different countries crossed by this Gas Pipeline.
Emanating from the vision of King Mohammed VI and the former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, and supported by President Bola Tinubu, this project has a truly strategic scope, insofar as it will contribute to accelerating access to energy for countries in this African sub-region, given that some countries have an electrification rate of less than 40%, Benkhadra said.
« This flagship project, which symbolises the relevance of South-South Cooperation, will contribute to economic and social development, in particular through the development of various industries, notably the mining sector, given the significant mineral resources in the countries crossed. ” explained the manager.
After indicating that these countries need sustainable energy to be able to develop, Benkhadra stressed that the implementation of this project will contribute to sustained growth and job creation and thereby, will be a factor in stabilizing young people in this sub-region of the Continent. For the director of ONHYM, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project will also contribute to more integration of this African sub-region, deploring the fact that Africa remains the least integrated continent at the global level, even though any integration is, without a doubt, a bearer of growth and development.
This is why, the official believes, beyond a simple transport and energy access project, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (Nigeria-Morocco) remains a major project that will guarantee this part of Africa political, economic and social stability, and will also contribute to greater energy security not only in Africa but also between this continent and Europe. The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline will also, according to her, allow gas to be exported to Europe and will therefore be an element in reducing European dependence on natural gas from its other suppliers, by allowing a diversification of supply sources.
The workshop hosted in Abidjan constitutes an important step for this project, this working meeting being part of the progress of the strategic project of the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline. Today we are meeting in Abidjan in Ivory Coast at the level of experts from the thirteen countries concerned by this project to finalize the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) or treaty which must be signed by all the States and the HGA which is the governmental agreement between a country and the project company. ” she noted Benkhadra.
Experts from the ministries responsible for natural gas, representatives of national companies from the countries concerned by this project are also taking part in the work of this conclave, which shows, added the official, ” their willingness and commitment to contribute to the execution and realization of a project as strategic and structuring as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (Nigeria Morocco) “The IGA is in fact a fundamental part of the development of this type of major cross-border project, in the sense that it will set all the conditions for management and governance of the project between all the countries crossed.
As a reminder, this intergovernmental agreement has been prepared for over a year between ONHYM and NNPC and has been the subject of several workshops in Rabat and Marrakech throughout 2023 and 2024. The very last of these meetings was held last July in Rabat. The officials who took part expressed their satisfaction with the progress made.
©️ Copyright Pulse Media. All rights reserved.
Reproduction and distribution prohibited (photocopies, intranet, web, messaging, newsletters, monitoring tools) without written permission.
