By:Al24news

ALGIERS, February 11, 2025 – Algeria, Nigeria, and Niger signed agreements on Tuesday in Algiers aimed at expediting the implementation of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project.

These agreements include a contract for updating the project’s feasibility study, a compensation agreement, and a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) among the energy companies from the three nations.

The signing occurred during the 4th ministerial meeting of the steering committee for the TSGP project, held at the Abdelatif Rahal International Conference Center in Algiers.

The contract to update the feasibility study was signed by Mohamed Arkab, Minister of State, Minister of Energy, Mines, and Renewable Energy; Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources of Nigeria; and Sahabi Oumarou, Minister of Petroleum of Niger. They were accompanied by Maizama Abdoulaye, Niger’s Minister of Hydraulics, Sanitation, and Environment, along with the Nigerian ambassador to Algeria and the chargé d’affaires at the Nigerian embassy.

The compensation agreement and NDA were signed by Rachid Hachichi, CEO of Sonatrach; Olalekan Ogunleye, Executive Vice President of Gas, Electricity, and New Energy at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC LTD); and Ali Seibou, General Director of the Nigerien Oil Company SONIDEP.

During the signing ceremony, Arkab highlighted that this “notable progress” underscores “our collective commitment to achieving the objectives of the TSGP and bringing it to fruition in the best interests of our peoples and our continent.”

He noted that updating the feasibility study will clarify “the necessary means to accelerate the realization of this important project within a reasonable timeframe and at competitive costs to ensure energy market supply.”

The execution of these agreements will enable the working group and the engineering firm PENSPEN to commence their tasks of updating the feasibility study and advancing the project.

The TSGP represents a strategic initiative designed to establish a continental pipeline for transporting natural gas from Nigeria, through Niger, to Algeria, facilitating exports to European markets and other international destinations.