By Emmanuel Nduka
Moroccan King, Mohammed VI has extended an invitation to Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu to North African country to discuss business.
The monarch extended the invitation during a phone call with the Nigerian President on Tuesday, Morocco World News reports.
According to a statement from the royal palace, the phone call focused on the development of bilateral relations between the two countries over the past few years.
The discussion also covered the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline Nigeria-Morocco project; a structuring project that will be a strategic lever for regional integration and economic and social development for all West African countries.
First initiated in 2016 by King Mohammed VI and former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the pipeline aims to promote regional integration and reinforce Africa’s energy security.
Morocco’s Rabat is set to host over 1,600 kilometres of the project, which is 5,600 kilometres long in total.
READ ALSO: Nigeria: Despite Unstable Power Supply In 2023, Discos Raked In Over N1trn Profit
Heritage Times HT reports that King Mohammed VI has frequently emphasised the importance of the project, reiterating Morocco’s commitment to the pipeline project with Nigeria.
In November 2023, King Mohammed VI stressed the potential benefits that the pipeline could bring not only to Africa but also to Europe.
The monarch made his remarks during a speech commemorating the anniversary of the Green March on November 6 last year.
“The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline strategic project is part of that endeavour,” he said, noting that the project is designed to promote regional integration as well as to boost joint economic growth.
The pipeline is set to connect over 11 countries in the region to benefit from Nigerian gas sources.
Many countries have endorsed the project, including Senegal.
In December, Senegal’s Minister of Petroleum Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome renewed his country’s support during a meeting with Director General of Morocco’s Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines(ONHYM), Amina Benkhadra in Dakar.
At the meeting, the Senegalese official noted that the “ambitious” gas pipeline will benefit the populations and economies of the entire region.
