Revived Sahara pipeline still faces hurdles

Nigeria, Niger and Algeria are committed to the $13bn gas connection, but financial and security obstacles will be hard to overcome

The idea of a pipeline across the Sahara delivering Nigerian gas to Europe was first proposed in the 1970s. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, the concept has regained momentum. Ministers from Nigeria, Niger and Algeria have met three times this year to discuss the plan, and on 28 July they signed an agreement in Algiers to take the project forward. The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) would extend an under-construction route from southern to northern Nigeria. The TSGP would run for more than 4,000km, carrying up to 30bn m³/yr of Nigerian gas through Niger to connect with the existing Algerian pipelines that convey the fuel across the Mediterranean. “What has held b