By John Ikani
A $13 billion project aimed at constructing a gas pipeline connecting vast gas fields in Nigeria to Europe faces a threat following the recent coup d’état in Niger.
The pipeline, which has been a topic of discussion for a long time, spans 5,600 kilometres and has the potential to supply gas to 11 countries along the African coast.
It is intended to reach Morocco and then integrate with the energy systems of Spain or Italy. The project gained momentum after Russian gas supplies to the EU were disrupted last year.
Last June, during a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, energy ministers from Algeria, Nigeria, and Niger agreed to expedite the development of the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline (TSGP).
Once operational, this pipeline could carry 30 billion cubic meters of gas exports annually from the three countries to Europe.
The concept of the trans-Saharan pipeline was initially proposed in the 1970s but saw a revival in 2002 when the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Algeria’s national oil and gas company, Sonatrach, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to prepare for the project.
Although a feasibility study completed in September 2006 confirmed the technical and economic viability of the pipeline, little progress was made until a new MoU was signed in 2022, reigniting hopes for its realization.
Stretching across 4,128 km, the pipeline would link Warri in Nigeria to the major Hassi R’Mel gas hub in Algeria, passing through Niger, with preliminary agreements already in place under the previous regime.
However, the new authorities that assumed power last week do not share the same enthusiasm for fostering relations with Europe.
The coup in Niger has become a power struggle between East and West rivals in Africa.
The deposed President Mohamed Bazoum was pro-Europe and had close ties with France, a significant supplier of commodities, including uranium.
On the other hand, the new leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, former head of the presidential guard, aligns himself with Russia and has already reduced exports of commodities to France.
The European Union is deeply involved in the dispute and is striving to maintain its commercial connections with Niger.
Meanwhile, Russia has been actively promoting its relations with African leaders, offering incentives such as free grain and discounted funding for nuclear power stations, among other things.
