Nigeria and Morocco have taken a major step towards delivering one of Africa's largest cross-border energy projects after signing the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) on the Africa-Atlantic Gas Pipeline in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The agreement, signed on July 19, marks a significant milestone in the nearly decade-long partnership between the two countries aimed at developing a gas pipeline that will connect Nigeria to Morocco through several West African nations, strengthening regional energy integration and economic cooperation.

The project traces its origins to 2016 when King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Nigeria's then President, the late Muhammadu Buhari, agreed to pursue the ambitious initiative during the monarch's state visit to Abuja. Since then, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to the project.

Following the political agreement, Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) have worked together to transform the vision into a technically viable project, overseeing engineering, commercial and institutional preparations.

The Freetown ceremony forms part of the ECOWAS-led process to establish the legal framework governing the pipeline. Member states of the regional bloc formally endorsed the agreement, while Morocco participated in its capacity as the project's strategic partner despite not being an ECOWAS member.

Attention will now shift to Morocco later this year, where the next phase of the project is expected to be launched with the signing of an agreement establishing the pipeline's management company.

The company will be headquartered in Morocco and will oversee the operational, financial and administrative implementation of the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project.

The event is expected to bring together King Mohammed VI, President Tinubu and the President of Mauritania, underscoring the transition of the pipeline from planning to execution.

The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline is regarded as one of Africa's most ambitious energy infrastructure projects. Beyond transporting Nigerian natural gas across West Africa to Morocco, it is expected to enhance energy security, expand electricity access, stimulate industrial development and create new economic opportunities for participating countries.

The project also aligns with Morocco's broader Atlantic Initiative, which seeks to strengthen economic connectivity between Africa, Europe and the Americas through strategic infrastructure and trade partnerships.

Officials from both countries have described the collaboration between ONHYM and NNPC Ltd. as a model of South-South cooperation, reflecting the strategic relationship between Rabat and Abuja and their shared commitment to regional integration, sustainable development and long-term energy security.