By John Ikani
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has obtained approval to enter into an agreement with ECOWAS for the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline.
The approval was given by The Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting presided by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday.
Briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva said the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project was still at the point of the front end engineering design after which the cost would be determined.
According to him, the pipeline would traverse 15 West African countries to Morocco and Spain.
“The Ministry of Petroleum Resources presented three memos to Council.
“The first memo, Council approved for the NNPC Ltd to execute MoU with ECOWAS for the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline.
“This gas pipeline is to take gas to 15 West African countries and to Morocco and through Morocco to Spain and Europe,’’ he said.
Sylva went on to note that the council also approved the construction of a switchgear room and installation of power distribution cables and equipment for the Nigeria oil and gas park in Ogbia, Bayelsa, in the sum of N3.8billion.
He explained that the park was to support local manufacturing of components for the oil and gas industry.
The Minister further disclosed that FEC approved various contracts for the construction of an access road with bridges to the Brass Petroleum Product Deport in Inibomoyekiri in Brass Local Government in the sum of N11 billion plus 7.5 per cent VAT.