The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and its implications for regional dynamics and security

The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline could boost energy exports and strengthen regional cooperation across Africa. [Courtesy]

For decades, West African States and their neighbouring countries in North Africa have envisioned building interconnected infrastructure to enhance economic development and drive growth among their economies. In the early 1970s, West African countries, in their quest to ensure regional integration, synchronised their road transportation systems. Most former British colonies that drove on the left side of the road -including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia -changed to driving on the right side to align with the majority of Francophone and Lusophone countries.

This seemingly inconsequential synchronisation was followed by the West African Highway Project, which helped bring countries in the region closer through quality road networks and infrastructure. In 2011, the undersea West African Gas Pipeline was constructed. The project, which supplies natural gas from Nigeria to the littoral states of Benin, Togo, and Ghana, was the first of its kind in the region. The project enhanced energy security in the sub-region and strengthened cooperation among member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), who share common interests. This also contributed to better coordination in maritime security.