TUE. 06 DEC, 2022-theGBJournal| The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) received a major boost Monday as NNPC Limited, Morocco’s Morocco’s National Office for Hydrocarbons & Mines (ONHYM) and five West African Nations Executed a MoU on the Project in Rabat, Morocco.
During the ceremony, the National Oil companies of the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone executed the MoU alongside Nigeria’s NNPC Limited, Morocco’s ONHYM.
The NNPC Limited said the MoU represents a significant step in fulfilling the Federal Government’s drive towards harnessing Nigeria’s abundant gas resources the NMGP.
Speaking shortly after signing the MoU on behalf of the NNPC Limited, the Group CEO, Mallam Mele Kyari, said Africa stands to benefit immensely from the execution of the project which extends beyond the supply of gas to energize the countries along the route.
”Other benefits include the creation of wealth and improvement in the standard of living of our citizenry, increased cooperation between our countries while mitigating against desertification and other benefits to be derived from reduction in carbon emission,” Kyari said,
Kyari described natural gas as a critical fuel in the transition towards net-zero, stressing that the NNPC Ltd is well positioned to progress the NMGP project by leveraging its experience and technical capabilities, ranging from gas production, processing, transmission and marketing as well as its vast experience executing major gas infrastructure projects in Nigeria.
He said NNPC Ltd will facilitate the continuous supply of gas and provide other enablers such as the required land for the first compressor station to be deployed in Nigeria, which is among the thirteen stations earmarked along the pipeline route.
Mallam Kyari extolled the strategic vision of President Muhammadu Buhari and His Royal Majesty, King Mohammed V1 of Morocco for entrusting NNPC Ltd and ONHYM with this strategic project.
In their respective speeches, the representatives of the West African countries reiterated the commitment of their countries towards making the NMGP project a reality.
Mrs Sylvia Assimeng Archer, the General Manager Commercial/Legal Advisor of Ghana Gas, described the MoU as historic, adding that the occasion was of monumental significance to her organization in its quest to bring nations and communities together through its operations.
Mr Baboucarr Njie, Managing Director of Gambia’s GNPC, said his country’s search for hydrocarbons is encouraged by recent discoveries in neighbouring Senegal and Mauritania and the opportunity presented by the NMGP project will tremendously boost their chances to discover natural gas in Gambia.
For Foday B.L Mansaray, the General Director, PDSL of Sierra Leone, his country was excited about the opportunities inherent in the NGMP partnership which he said has reinforced the virtues of greater cooperation that will further develop the African continent.
Mr Celedonio Placido Viera, the General Director of PETOGUIN of Guinea Bissau said his country was glad to be involved in the NMGP project because it will boost the livelihood and economies of the countries across the continent.
In her remarks, the Director General of Morocco’s ONHYM, Mrs Amina Benkhadra, thanked the representatives of the five countries that signed the MoU.
The NMGP is a 5,600 kilometer gas pipeline project that transverses 13 African countries-from Nigeria through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania to Morocco. It is projected to supply about three billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (3bscf/d).
It will be recalled that in September 2022, the NNPC Ltd and ONHYM signed MoUs with ECOWAS Commission while in October 2022, it also executed an MoU with Petrosen of Senegal and SMH of Mauritania, all on the NMGP Project.
Twitter-@theGBJournal|Facebook-The Government and Business Journal|email:gbj@govbusinessjournal.ng|govandbusinessj@gmail.com
