Morocco is stepping up its diplomatic efforts in Washington to secure financing for the future gas pipeline linking Nigeria to the kingdom, a strategic project expected to open a new gas supply route to Europe by 2031.
A Moroccan delegation led by Amina Benkhadra, chief executive of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), held a series of high-level meetings in the U.S. capital in recent days. According to L’Économiste, discussions involved several major institutions, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the State Department, the White House National Security Council, the World Bank Group, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and several influential Washington-based think tanks.
The aim of the mission was twofold. First, Rabat presented the completion of the project’s main technical studies, including feasibility assessments and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED). Second, Moroccan officials outlined progress on the pipeline’s financial structuring, including the gradual establishment of the company that will oversee its management.
The Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline has now reached a new milestone. With the technical phase largely completed, attention is turning to institutional and financial structuring. According to Moroccan media reports, a final investment decision could be taken before the end of the year.
Designed as a vast energy corridor connecting West African gas resources to Morocco and then onward to European markets, the pipeline aims to strengthen Euro-African energy security, promote regional integration, improve access to energy, and support industrialization across the continent.
The project’s timetable accelerated significantly in 2025. Between May and October, feasibility studies and preliminary engineering designs were finalized. At the same time, the terms of the intergovernmental agreement governing the pipeline’s route through member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were adopted and are currently awaiting signature by the relevant heads of state.
Meanwhile, work is advancing on the creation of the project’s operating company. This entity will be responsible for mobilizing financing, coordinating operations, and overseeing the overall implementation of the pipeline.
Beyond its energy dimension, Rabat is also highlighting the growing link between the gas corridor and the development of critical minerals, which are considered essential for global energy transition value chains.
The project also rests on a demanding environmental and social framework aligned with international standards. An impact assessment published by ONHYM in October 2025 identified several environmentally sensitive areas in Morocco, including Dakhla Bay in Western Sahara, the Draa, Souss and Sebou river basins, as well as coastal ecosystems.
The framework includes monitoring mechanisms consistent with the requirements of the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank. These include grievance procedures, protection of local livelihoods, and compliance with Moroccan regulations from the earliest design stages.
Through this project, Morocco is seeking to position itself as a future energy hub between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, at a time when diversifying gas supplies has become a major geopolitical priority.
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