Nigeria and Morocco yesterday in Rabat, Morocco, signed three agreements including a regional gas pipeline that will see Nigeria providing gas to countries in West Africa that extend to Morocco and Europe.
The signing was witnessed by President Muhammadu Buhari and King of Morocco, His Majesty King Mohammed V1, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said in a statement.
He said this followed a meeting between the two African leaders that focused on strengthening economic relations in gas resource, global investments and agricultural training and management.
Shehu said: “The feasibility study of the agreement on the pipeline, which was signed by the Group General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Farouq Said Garba, and Mrs Amina Benkhadra, Director General of the National Office of Hydrocarbon and Mines, will be concluded by July 2018.
“The construction of the pipeline will be phased and based on increasing needs of the countries crossed, and Europe, for the period of 25 years.
“The Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP), designed to be 5,660km long, will reduce gas flaring in Nigeria and encourage diversification of energy resources in the country, while cutting down poverty through the creation of more job opportunities.
“At the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Authority, Mr Uche Orji and the Chief Executive Officer of the Office of the Management of Phosphate in Morocco, Mr Mostafa Terrab signed a Memorandom of Understanding for the development of a chemical plant in Nigeria for producing ammonia and its derivatives.”
The Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh and his Moroccan counterpart Mr Aziz Akhannouch, signed an agreement on vocational training and technical supervision, which will enhance skills on better management of agricultural outfits in Nigeria.
