In just 5,660 kilometers of pipes crossing 13 countries, Africa is building the largest pipeline in its history — and the final destination is Europe.

Written by Douglas Avila

Published on 01/05/2026 at 06:33

Updated on 02/05/2026 at 12:22

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With an extension equivalent to four times the distance between Recife and Porto Alegre, the pipeline that will connect Nigeria to Morocco can permanently change the energy geopolitics of the African continent and Southern Europe

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is, officially, the largest energy infrastructure project under development in Africa. Also known as the Atlantic African Gas Pipeline (AAGP), it will have 5,660 kilometers of pipes crossing 13 countries — Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco.

The estimated budget is US$ 25 billion, and the projected maximum capacity is 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The first export is planned for 2031, with full operation in phases until 2046.

To understand the scale of the project, a visual comparison is useful. The 5,660 km is approximately equivalent to four times the distance between Recife and Porto Alegre. In terms of area served, the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline will directly benefit 400 million people along its route.

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The offshore route of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline: from the Niger Delta to Cadiz

The route of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is predominantly offshore, following the West African Atlantic coast. This is a crucial technical differentiator — instead of crossing unstable lands and regions with weak governance, the pipeline is buried in the seabed, avoiding a good part of the political risks.

In parallel, the starting point is the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP), a short 678 km pipeline that has already connected Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana for over a decade. The new project connects to the WAGP and extends it to Morocco, crossing the entire West African region.

From Morocco, the system can connect to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, which historically carries Algerian gas to Spain. The final destination of Nigerian gas, therefore, is the port of Cadiz, in Spanish Andalusia — the main entry point for African gas into the European continent.

In comparison, there are planned terrestrial branches for Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali — three landlocked countries that currently depend on expensive fuel imports to generate electricity.

Offshore installation vessel for the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline

Who pays the US$ 25 billion bill and when does construction begin

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is coordinated by two state-owned companies: the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on the Nigerian side, and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), on the Moroccan side. The two governments formalized the agreement during an official visit by King Mohammed VI in December 2016.

According to Amina Benkhadra, director of ONHYM, in an interview with Tribuna do Sertão, “the project, valued at US$ 25 billion, will have an extension of 6,900 km (sea-land-sea) and a maximum capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of gas.” The first phase is already partially under construction, connecting Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal.

As stated by Leila Benali, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition, in a statement to Monitor do Oriente, “work is currently underway to establish a partnership between the Moroccan and Nigerian parties, along with preparations for the final investment decision, expected by the end of 2025”.

In parallel, financing involves international consortia, with strong interest from African development banks, Persian Gulf sovereign funds, and potentially the United States. According to recent reports, the Trump administration also showed interest in the megaproject, seeing the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline as a geopolitical counterpoint to Russian gas in Europe.

Port of Cadiz arrival terminal for the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline

Europe and the vacuum left by Russian gas

The international scenario helps explain why the project is advancing now. As Click Petróleo e Gás recently reported, the European Union lost 30% of Russian LNG imports starting April 25, 2026, with a total ban planned for the end of 2027.

Consequently, the European continent urgently needs to diversify sources. The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline can deliver significant volumes directly via pipeline — a cheaper and more stable solution than maritime LNG, which depends on LNG carriers, regasifiers, and complex logistics.

Indeed, at that moment, Spain becomes a protagonist on the European energy map. The country imports almost 100% of the gas it consumes, and the port of Cadiz is geographically positioned to become the main hub for redistributing African gas to the rest

In just 5,660 kilometers of pipes crossing 13 countries, Africa is building the largest pipeline in its history — and the final destination is Europe.

With an extension equivalent to four times the distance between Recife and Porto Alegre, the pipeline that will connect Nigeria to Morocco can permanently change the energy geopolitics of the African continent and Southern Europe

The offshore route of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline: from the Niger Delta to Cadiz

Who pays the US$ 25 billion bill and when does construction begin

Europe and the vacuum left by Russian gas

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In just 5,660 kilometers of pipes crossing 13 countries, Africa is building the largest pipeline in its history — and the final destination is Europe.

With an extension equivalent to four times the distance between Recife and Porto Alegre, the pipeline that will connect Nigeria to Morocco can permanently change the energy geopolitics of the African continent and Southern Europe

The offshore route of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline: from the Niger Delta to Cadiz

Who pays the US$ 25 billion bill and when does construction begin

Europe and the vacuum left by Russian gas

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

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Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

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A 400-meter colossus powered by natural gas has just set sail from Shanghai to Europe, carrying over 24,000 containers. It is the world’s largest dual-fuel container ship and can cross the planet without refueling even once.

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