The Moroccan-Nigeria Gas pipeline: Saving Rabat and helping Europe's energy artery

The importance of this project for Nigeria is that it only pays for transport to Niger and Algeria, on the other hand, Algeria's self-sufficiency in gas will increase the country's exports, don't forget, Algeria has a pipeline network to Europe, which means lower costs and shorter completion times for this transmission line, and has gas liquefaction stations. To export to distant markets in far Asia.

For Nigeria, this project will not be a competitor to its project with Morocco, but Abuja sees the two projects as an integration in the interests of its gas export projects, as confirmed by Tamiri Selfa on the sidelines of a recent Gastec conference in Dubai, UAE. Commenting on the exclusion of one of the two projects in favor of the other, he said, "We can complete both projects at the same time, and the gas that will pass through Morocco will be transported to Europe, while we will direct the gas that reaches Algeria to African countries." Observers explain that Nigeria hopes to benefit from the late golden age of this energy source, where renewables are starting to emerge while other types of energy exist.

Europe always benefits

Europe is closely watching the development of gas projects in Africa as the old continent has for years sought to diversify its energy sources away from relying on Russia, which is currently gearing up for war with Europe due to the recent Ukraine crisis. Earlier, Europe started dealing with Azerbaijan and established partnerships with the United States and Qatar, and then it wanted to add African suppliers to its list of gas suppliers.

On the other hand, Russia, which fears giving up its natural resources and doesn't much like its competitors increasing the European market, is watching all these developments to protect its economic interests, but with the beginning of confrontation in the Ukrainian arena, this cold energy war may be over, with Europe and the United States starting to play the economic sanctions card. Hours after Germany announced it was suspending the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline linking Germany and Russia via Hungary, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Europe to cut off the vital energy artery that allows Moscow to export its surplus gas.

If the situation develops and Europe boycotts Russia's natural resources, these political issues will undoubtedly benefit the African project. It is true that the volume of African exports, led by Nigeria, does not meet all of Europe's energy needs, after which, until recently, it has not found open markets for its exports, meaning that there are more opportunities for the region to benefit from energy revenues, which undoubtedly helps the attempt to develop West Africa.