ECOWAS member states have signed a landmark agreement clearing the way for the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline, one of the most ambitious energy infrastructure projects in Africa's history.

The pipeline will stretch roughly 6,000 to 6,900 kilometres along the Atlantic coast, carrying natural gas from Nigeria through 13 West African countries — including Sierra Leone — before connecting to the Maghreb-Europe pipeline and onward to Europe. Leaders expect the project to meet the energy needs of hundreds of millions of people along the West African coast.

President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who currently chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, welcomed the signing, describing the project as a cornerstone of regional economic integration. The signing follows months of technical work by the ECOWAS Commission on financing structures and regulatory harmonisation across member states.

According to the BBC, construction is expected to begin in 2028. Analysts note that for coastal member states such as Sierra Leone, the pipeline promises cheaper and more reliable gas supplies for power generation, potentially accelerating industrialisation and reducing dependence on expensive imported fuels.

The agreement is the second major regional initiative under President Bio's ECOWAS chairmanship, after Sierra Leone announced plans to host an investment summit focused on energy trade, strategic minerals, agribusiness and digital transformation as pillars of the bloc's economic reset.

Sources: BBC, The East African, DW, NTA Network.