African leaders denounced what they called a coup attempt against the president of Niger on Wednesday. According to the president’s official Twitter account, members of the presidential guard staged a “anti-Republican demonstration” and attempted to rally the support of other security forces.

The tweet from President Mohamed Bazoum’s administration did not mention a coup, and the portion that mentioned the demonstration was eventually removed. However, it stated that the president and his family were doing fine and that the Niger army and national guard “are ready to attack” if the protesters did not desist.

The actions of the presidential guardsman, according to the African Union and Economic Community of West African States commissions, were an attempt to depose Bazoum, who was elected president of Niger two years ago in the country’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960.

The ECOWAS Commission, which oversees the initiatives of the 15-nation regional power bloc, declared that it “condemns in the strongest terms the attempt to seize power by force and calls on the coup plotters to free the democratically elected president of the republic immediately and without any condition.”

In the struggle against Islamist militancy, which has devastated western Niger, Bazoum’s leadership has established Niger as a crucial Western ally. A coup attempt was repelled days before the president was inaugurated in, and Niger had several coups in the decades before his inauguration.

It’s unclear what sparked the conflict or whether the members of the presidential guard had imposed restrictions on Bazoum’s travels. Wednesday saw some government agencies and the streets surrounding the presidential palace in Niamey, the nation’s capital, closed off, but the area was otherwise calm.

By late afternoon, a military buildup was present in front of the state radio and television networks’ corporate offices. Armed soldiers and members of the national guard blocked traffic with pick-up trucks that were mounted with machine guns on the highways leading to both buildings.

By the time the AP arrived, the national guard had sent about a dozen reinforcements to guard the radio network. Lockdown orders were given for some foreign security personnel stationed there.

The presidential security encircled Bazoum’s house on Wednesday morning while he and his wife were inside, according to a source close to the president who wasn’t permitted to speak to the media, adding that talks between the parties were in progress.

Threats against Bazoum’s leadership would interfere with Western attempts to maintain stability in the Sahel region of Africa. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Niger in an effort to forge closer connections with a place where security conditions were not as bad as in some of its neighbors.

Since 2020, there have been four coups in both Mali and Burkina Faso, and both countries are now under the control of extremists affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaida. Also present in those nations are mercenaries from the Russian military enterprise.

Ulf Laessing, director of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, claimed that Niger and President Bazoum were the West’s only chance for the Sahel region in terms of containing Islamists and Russia’s growing influence. “Western nations have flooded Niger with aid initiatives, ranging from development cooperation to military aid. Even if Bazoum is spared, Niger’s standing as the Sahel’s anchor for stability among Western officials suffers.

The ECOWAS leadership, according to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who was chosen this month to chair the commission, will rebuff any efforts to topple the government of Niger.

“It should be quite clear to all players in the Republic of Niger that the leadership of the ECOWAS region and all lovers of democracy around the world will not tolerate any situation that incapacitates the democratically elected government of the country,” Tinubu said in a statement he released in Abuja. “We will exert all reasonable efforts to ensure that democracy is firmly planted, nurtured, well rooted, and flourishes in our region.”

As part of its statement, the African Union urged Africans and Nigeriens to “join their voices in unanimous condemnation of this coup attempt and for the immediate and unconditional return of the felon soldiers to their barracks.”

On Wednesday, Niamey’s streets were as busy as normal, although many locals refrained from talking about the situation until additional details were available.

Another coup attempt, according to security specialists, would exacerbate regional instability.

“The Sahel’s repeated coups signaled the beginning of a new era: an era of militaries being in control, and the end of what it was a hopeful democracy,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a think tank with offices in Morocco. “Coups did not really address security issues, which was the justification of these coups, as we are seeing in Burkina Faso and Mali,”

“Military coups are simply bad and send countries concerned backward rather than forward toward stability and (a) prosperous future,” Lyammouri

Read also: Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline: Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to Invest $12.5 Bln

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Abuja – The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCL) will invest $12.5 billion to secure a 50% stake in the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project.

This significant undertaking, which would span 11 African nations over a distance of almost 5,600 km, is anticipated to break the current record for the longest offshore gas pipeline.

The National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and NNPCL are both contributing an equal amount to the project’s financing.

The pipeline project for the Corporation, which will connect Nigeria and Morocco, is currently in Phase II of the preliminary design study, as well as undergoing an environmental impact assessment and rights of way investigations, according to NNPCL managing director Mallam Mele Kyari, who was speaking in Abuja on Thursday.

The vast natural gas reserves of Nigeria, which currently stand at more than 200 billion cubic feet, might increase to 600 billion cubic feet as a result of increased investment anticipated as a result of the recent resolution of production sharing contract conflicts with partners, claims Kyari.

The substantial reserve, according to him, will offer a low-carbon energy option that will assist development in the energy and industrial sectors, combat poverty, lessen carbon emissions, and increase employment possibilities.

The capacity of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure network to transport 6.9 billion standard cubic feet of gas to enable power generation was also mentioned by the speaker.

One of the major initiatives connecting the two countries through many West African nations is the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline. Studies for this massive project are far along the way, and memoranda of understanding have recently been signed.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Kingdom of Morocco signed the first one.

Two more agreements were made, one between Morocco, Nigeria, and Mauritania, and the other between Morocco, Nigeria, and Senegal.

Between Morocco and Nigeria and Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ghana, respectively and in that order, five additional tripartite memorandums of understanding were signed.

The strategically important Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, which was inspired by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, will follow the coast of West Africa from Nigeria through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, and Mauritania to Morocco.

In addition to supplying the landlocked nations of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, it will be connected to both the European gas network and the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline.
Read Also: HM the King Expresses Condolences to the Family of Late Khalid Naciri

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The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project saw the signing of five tripartite Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Monday in Rabat.

Morocco, Nigeria, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ghana all signed these Memoranda of Understanding in turn and in succession.

The National Nigerian Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the Moroccan National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) signed the first Memorandum of Understanding with the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC-Gambia).

The National Nigerian Petroleum Company Limited “NNPC” and ONHYM signed the second memorandum with PETROGUIN-Guinea Bissau, while the National Nigerian Petroleum Company Limited “NNPC” and Société Nationale des Petroleos “SONAP” of the Republic of Guinea signed the third agreement.

With the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (“PDSL”), ONHYM and the National Nigerian Petroleum Company Limited (“NNPC”) signed the fourth Memorandum. With the Ghana National Gas Company (“GNGC”), ONHYM and the National Nigerian Petroleum Company (“NNPC”) signed the fifth Memorandum.

According to a joint statement from the signing parties, these MoUs, along with those signed with ECOWAS on September 15, 2022, and those with Mauritania and Senegal on October 15, 2022, confirm the parties’ dedication to this strategic project, which, once finished, will supply gas to all West African countries and will also open a new export route to Europe.

The same source continued, pointing out that the project will also enable Africa to take on a new economic, political, and strategic dimension. This infrastructure will improve the living conditions of the population, the integration of the sub-economies, region’s and the mitigation of desertification through a sustainable and reliable gas supply that respects the continent’s commitments to environmental protection.

From Nigeria, the pipeline will travel via Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, and Mauritania before ending in Morocco. It will be linked to both the European gas network and the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline. The infrastructure will also feed Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, three landlocked nations.

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Moha Ou Ali Tagma, Morocco’s ambassador to Nigeria, has stressed the value of Moroccan-Nigerian collaboration and the two nations’ desire to collaborate in many industries.

Ali Tagma emphasized Nigeria’s role as a “strategic partner for Morocco” in an interview with the Nigerian news site Daily Trust.

Morocco makes its greatest foreign investments in Nigeria, he claimed.
Additionally, he mentioned King Mohammed VI’s 2016 trip to Nigeria, highlighting how the Moroccan king and President Muhammadu Buhari mapped out the “course of what should be the relationship” between the two nations.

The relationship between the two nations, according to the ambassador, “goes back centuries to the time when royalty from Borno, Sokoto, and Kano had very deep relations with Morocco, particularly the cities of Marrakech and Fes.” The two nations are also very close geographically, historically, and culturally.

Nigeria’s exports to Morocco totaled $14.42 million in 2021, according to Trading Economics, a business and trade-focused website.

The same website reports that Morocco exported goods worth $130.91 million to Nigeria in the same period.

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline was officially opened during King Mohammed VI’s state visit to Abuja.

The pipeline project was started in 2016 by King Mohammed VI and President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria with the intention of fostering regional integration in West Africa and enhancing the continent’s energy security.

The Moroccan ambassador spoke on the pipeline project and stressed its significance, citing King Mohammed VI’s recent speech on November 6 to mark the Green March Anniversary.

The envoy said that King Mohammed VI recently stated that the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project “works in favor of peace, economic integration of the African continent, and its common growth” and is meant for both current and future generations.

The king wants the pipeline to help all of West Africa, “a area that is home to more than 440 million people,” and refers to the project as one for both present and future generations.

According to King Mohammed VI, “This is a project for peace, for African economic integration, and for co-development: a project for the present and for future generations.”

A total of 5,600 kilometers of the pipeline—1,672 of them in Morocco—will cross multiple nations along the Atlantic coast. A budget of $25 billion is expected to be invested in the project by investors.

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The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project has received the “full backing” of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, which has stated its commitment to the project.

Sediko Douka, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalization, lavished praise on the Nigerian and Moroccan project initiative, “saluting” the two nations for “having had this vision of the future which will definitively establish the energy independence of our region and the strengthening of South-South cooperation.”

The ECOWAS executive also stated that the steering committee and technical committee of the project, among other statutory bodies, will “meet shortly for its implementation,” highlighting the fact that the project is timely given the lack of energy production infrastructure in the ECOWAS region.

With a high pricing of around 0.24 USD/kWh and a poor access rate of 53%, barely 60% of the energy demand in the country is met, according to Douka.

A day after King Mohammed VI’s speech honoring the 47th anniversary of the Green March, Douka delivered his remarks.

The monarch reaffirmed Morocco’s support for the initiative during his speech, which will allow Africa to produce energy independently and self-sufficiently.

The King emphasized that the project would secure peace for African economic integration and for co-development, saying, “I want this to be a strategic initiative that benefits all of West Africa — an area that is home to more than 440 million people.”

The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline, according to Douka, will allow member states that produce natural gas to profit from it to produce energy and the use of gas for domestic reasons, echoing the King’s support for the project.

In September, the ECOWAS Commission inked an agreement with Nigeria’s National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Morocco’s National office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONYUM).

The agreement is a component of the pipeline’s construction architecture, mobilizing resources to make the project’s development and execution possible as a single effort.

With a goal of helping more than 340 million people, the $25 billion project along the Atlantic coast will stretch 5,600 kilometers across 11 nations.

At a time when the continent may be trying to diversify its energy supplies, Morocco will host 1,672 kilometers of the pipeline that connects it to Europe through Spain.

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A memorandum of understanding was signed on Thursday in Rabat regarding a gas pipeline project that will connect Nigeria and Morocco and supply West Africa and Europe as well.

According to the release, the language signed “confirms the resolve of ECOWAS and all the participating countries to contribute to the feasibility of this significant project.”

The project, for which no completion date has been established, is being carried out in a geopolitical environment that is characterized by a high demand for gas and oil on a global scale as well as a rise in prices as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Many nations, especially those in Europe, are working to lessen their reliance on Russian supply.

According to the announcement, the 6,000 kilometer Nigeria-Morocco project will supply the landlocked nations of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali by passing through 13 African nations along the Atlantic coast.

More than 5,000 billion cubic meters of natural gas are anticipated to be delivered to Morocco.

From there, it will be directly connected to the European gas network via the Maghreb Europe Gas Pipeline (GME).

The signing of the NMGP agreement, which was announced at the end of 2016, takes place against the backdrop of heightened regional rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, the continent’s and the world’s seventh-largest natural gas exporter, respectively.

On Algiers’ decision, the two Maghreb countries severed diplomatic ties in August 2021, putting an end to the dispute between them.

After this rupture, Algeria cut off Rabat’s access to gas by cutting the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (GME), which transports Algerian gas to Spain while passing through Morocco, in October.

Rabat has since worked to diversify its gas supply.

The energy ministers of Algeria, Nigeria, and Nigeria signed a memorandum of understanding at the end of July to advance a rival mega-project for a trans-Saharan gas pipeline (TSGP), which would carry Nigerian gas to Europe via Niger and Algeria.

The Trans-completion Saharan’s has not been set a deadline.

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Dolidol, a Moroccan firm specializing in the production of mattresses and sponges, has bought the Nigerian company “Moka,” which operates in the same sector and is regarded as a leader in its field in Nigeria, in a $60 million agreement.

Palmeraie holdings Group, which owns Dolidol, announced the signing of an acquisition contract with Nigerian conglomerate MOKA via its Dolidol subsidiary, cementing the company’s position as an African leader in the polyurethane foam and mattress business.

According to a report received by SNRTnews with a copy of the holding, which is based in Casablanca, this process comes within the concept of advancing the “international countries” strategy for geographical diversification on the African continent.

Dolidol, which was created in 1972, now has 7 production units in 5 African nations, including Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire, as a result of this acquisition.

Since 2016, the company has been present in Côte d’Ivoire, using its Ivorian subsidiary as a platform for distribution and catering in surrounding West African markets such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Liberia.

Dolidol’s acquisition of the Nigerian company Moka continues its expansion in West Africa, with a massive market presence of approximately 200 million Nigerians. Dolidol’s growth into East Africa continues with the acquisition of a controlling stake in an Ethiopian active capital, stating that Ethiopia is the second and most populated African market.

Dolidol is also looking to purchase another actor in Uganda, allowing it to distribute and sell in adjacent countries like Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. “Today’s announcement represents an important stage in the life of our company, because it is the announcement of the birth of an undisputed African champion, with a strong presence in North, West, and East Africa, and a favorable strategic position to best serve the growing African market,” said  Berrada Sounni, President of Palmeraie Holding.

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The annual study on the 150 most powerful and valuable African brands has just been released by «Brand Finance».

– Overall brand value in the top 150 Africa fell by 12% from US$45.5 billion in 2020 to US$40.0 billion in 2021

– MTN, the South African telecom operator, has been named the strongest and most valuable African brand for the second year in a row, with a brand worth of US$2.7 billion.

– With 81 brands out of 150, South Africa dominates the ranking, accounting for 73 percent of the total value of the 150 African brands. Nigeria is second on the continent with 17 brands, and Morocco is third with 10 brands in the top 150.

– Banks, telecoms and insurance are the sectors with the strongest and most valued brands on the continent.

– The banking sector has the most valuable brands in Africa, with 36 brands accounting for 27 percent of the overall value of the 150 African brands. Between 2020 and 2021, the total value of African banking brands declined by 12%, as did the value of banking brands in other parts of the world.

– Three banking brands stand out with a positive development:

Kenya Commercial Bank (+ 12% à US$209 million), BANK OF AFRICA (+ 11% to US$221 million) and Nigeria Access Bank (+ 8% to US$262 million)

– The BANK OF AFRICA brand had the greatest year in terms of brand value in Morocco (all sectors combined) and the second-best performance in the African banking industry, with an increase of 11% in the brand value, which is now valued at US$221 million.

THE BANK OF AFRICA offers services in consumer, corporate and private banking and has a broad regional coverage in Morocco, it operates over 697 branches in Morocco alone. And 560 branches in the rest of the african continent.

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Today, June 15^th, Chakib Benmoussa presented the report of the Special Development Model Committee before the diplomatic corps accredited in Morocco.

On this occasion, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Morocco, Muhammad Albashir Ibrahim Saleh Alhussainy, expressed his satisfaction with the project and said, “The Kingdom has entered the world of progress”, highlighting, in this regard, the efforts of His Majesty King Mohammed VI who made this possible.

On a different note, and regarding the announcement of a Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, the Nigerian Ambassador said that the preparations are almost finished. “The project will be completed in less than a year”, he added.

Moreover, Alhussainy reaffirmed the strength of Morocco-Nigeria relations and said, “There will be other projects, including the signing of a number of agreements in all fields”.

It should be recalled that the Nigerian government had earlier expressed its willingness to build a gas pipeline linking Nigeria and Morocco, after completing plans to materialize this major project.

In an interview with “Nigerian News Direct”, Usuf Usman, Director General of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), announced that the achievement of this major project was embodied by the signing of an agreement between Morocco and Nigeria during a ceremony presided over by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Nigerian official added that this huge project will pass through the West African gas pipeline and will benefit several countries on the continent. He added that some of these countries have gas fields whose production will be pumped into the pipeline, while other non-gas-producing countries will benefit from it for development purposes. “If these countries can’t pay for gas, they will get electricity”, he said.

In a question about the timetable for the completion of this project, Usman explained that it is related to a new development vision that is necessary for Africa, and explained that the feasibility study has been completed, and the final financing decision is being approved. He added that Nigeria will launch in the same context the management plan for the decade of gas to enhance the viability of this major project.

It should be noted that this mega project, which was launched in Abuja in 2016 under the chairmanship of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, will connect the gas resources of Nigeria, and those of several West African countries in addition to Morocco, and thus promote regional economic integration.

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, met on Tuesday May 4th, 2021 by videoconference, with Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

During this meeting, Bourita extended his congratulations to the Nigerian Minister, following the election of Ms. Ngozi Okonjo as the first African woman to head the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The two ministers underlined the quality of the relations between Morocco and Nigeria, marked by fraternity and solidarity, thanks to the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Bourita and Onyeama also expressed their willingness to develop this cooperation and raise the exchanges to a higher level and reaffirmed the commitment to build a strategic partnership in different sectors for the benefit of the two nations.

In the same context, the two ministers underlined the importance of strengthening the dynamic of economic cooperation between the various departments concerned, recalling the great networking potential offered to people interested in business in the two countries.

They also welcomed the progress made in the joint establishment of the chemical platform in Nigeria, amounting to 1.3 billion USD, which will produce ammonia and various fertilizers, noting that these strategic projects and mutually benefits are a true embodiment of South-South cooperation.

Furthermore, the two ministers agreed to hold regular consultations on issues of common interest at both regional and continental levels, and reaffirmed their commitment to promote peace, stability and prosperity in West Africa and the Sahel region.

The Moroccan Minister also reiterated his congratulations to Nigeria on the election of Ambassador Adeoye Bankole as Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union.

On a final note, Bourita and Onyeama pledged to hold the next Mixed Commission as soon as conditions allow.

It is worth noting that Nasser Bourita had video talks with a number of ministers and ambassadors recently. This included the Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, who shared a post via Twitter saying, “today, we held a remote meeting with my counterpart and my brother, His Excellency Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco. We reviewed the files of bilateral relations, as well as the political and security situation prevailing in our region, and two agreements were signed in the field of cooperation between our two countries.”

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