The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project has advanced a step forward following the commencement of topographic surveys in the northern section last week, according to ETAFAT, the company overseeing the project.

The surveys covering Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal began following a meeting between Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

ETAFAT officials said the initial studies are already in an advanced stage, marking a crucial milestone for the ambitious project, which aims to become the largest of its kind in Africa. 

The pipeline would stretch along the West African coast, connecting Nigeria to Morocco and Europe through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, and Senegal. Upon completion, it would connect to the existing Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline.

The project is expected to significantly impact African development, fostering economic growth and regional integration. 

King Mohammed VI of Morocco underscored this importance in a recent speech, calling the pipeline "more than just a bilateral project" but a strategic initiative for the entire West African region.

“This is a project for peace, for African economic integration, and for co-development: a project for the present and for future generations.” the King said.

Dutch subsea solutions company N-Sea began seabed inspections in West Africa last year to support the project. At the same time, Nigeria's Minister of State for Petroleum Resources announced plans to begin construction this year. Funding for the $25 billion project was secured through four memoranda of understanding signed in June 2023.