Reshaping ECOWAS: Strategic Gas Infrastructure and Market Integration

This policy brief by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the barriers to integrating gas infrastructure within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and proposes a strategic framework to unlock regional prosperity through harmonized regulations, a dedicated infrastructure fund, and strengthened regional governance.

• West African ECOWAS member states possess significant natural gas reserves exceeding 300 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), with Nigeria holding the largest share at approximately 211.1 Tcf as of 2024. Other notable reserves include Senegal at 100 Tcf, Ghana at 2.024 Tcf (2014), Côte d’Ivoire at 1.191 Tcf (2019), and Benin at 0.078 Tcf.
• Regional gas integration is hindered by regulatory fragmentation, where differing national standards and licensing rules create inefficiencies. Current infrastructure is limited, with the 678 km West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) and the Nigeria–Morocco project being primary examples, while the lack of a regional gas master plan allows national priorities to override collective strategies.
• External financing from global powers like China and the European Union often bypasses ECOWAS coordination, favoring bilateral government-to-government loans. This creates parallel development agendas, as seen with the Nigeria-China Ajaokuta-Kaduna pipeline, which can contravene regional oversight and undermine technical harmonization.
• Gas projects face significant 'transition risk' due to global decarbonization efforts, which may shorten the economic life of assets and depress prices. Financing is further constrained by a gap in private capital, high upfront costs, and warnings that new gas infrastructure may not align with a 1.5°C climate pathway.
• The document proposes three primary reforms: the adoption of a binding regional gas code and a Regional Gas Regulatory Authority; the creation of a 5 billion USD ECOWAS Gas Infrastructure Development Fund (EGIDF) to provide credit enhancements and co-finance projects; and the establishment of a West African Gas Task Force to manage a 10-year regional gas roadmap.

APA

Nzhadzhaba, D., & Onitekun, O. (2025). Reshaping ECOWAS: Strategic Gas Infrastructure and Market Integration. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/reshaping-ecowas-strategic-gas-infrastructure-and-market-integration

Chicago

Nzhadzhaba, Dieketseng, and Olumide Onitekun. Reshaping ECOWAS: Strategic Gas Infrastructure and Market Integration. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/reshaping-ecowas-strategic-gas-infrastructure-and-market-integration.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nzhadzhaba |first1=Dieketseng |last2=Onitekun |first2=Olumide |title=Reshaping ECOWAS: Strategic Gas Infrastructure and Market Integration |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=16 December 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/reshaping-ecowas-strategic-gas-infrastructure-and-market-integration |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nzhadzhaba2025reshaping, author = {Nzhadzhaba, Dieketseng and Onitekun, Olumide}, title = {{Reshaping ECOWAS: Strategic Gas Infrastructure and Market Integration}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://afripoli.org/reshaping-ecowas-strategic-gas-infrastructure-and-market-integration}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }