Pipe to move Nigerian gas to Morocco

LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria and Morocco have agreed to build a pipeline to carry Nigerian natural gas to North Africa and Europe in a major initiative to increase energy production across West Africa and create industrial hubs to attract foreign investment, a joint statement said Wednesday.

The two countries’ sovereign wealth funds will jointly develop the pipeline to run about 2,500 miles along the West African coast from Nigeria to Morocco on a route yet to be decided, it said. Coastal countries include Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania.

The coastline then runs through the disputed territory of Western Sahara before reaching Morocco.

“The Trans-African Pipeline will improve access to energy across West Africa … helping address one of the region’s most significant barriers to development … [and] will strengthen energy exports to Europe, linking Nigerian gas to the European energy market through Morocco,” the statement said.

Nigeria has the world’s ninth highest proven gas reserves but suffers a massive shortage of power, in part because oil companies continue to flare off a significant amount of gas. In addition, militants regularly attack gas pipelines to protest production that has destroyed agricultural land and fishing areas.