Nigeria and Morocco Pipeline - Environmental Risk
Team Leader: Micaela Hanley
Primary Analyst: Dante Fanian
Morocco hosted the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties and the first session following the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016. During this UN Climate Change Conference, the parties successfully demonstrated that the implementation of the Paris Agreement is ensuing.[i] One of the primary environmental goals agreed upon during the conference was the reduction of fossil fuels-based energy.[ii] Nigeria and Morocco had success in private negotiations throughout this conference as well. The initial announcement of the joint pipeline project was after the UN Conference in Morocco.[iii] Nigeria and Morocco are ratified members of the Paris Climate Agreement and have thus faced criticism from numerous environmentalists and NGOs about the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels, which is the primary cause of global warming, that will result from the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project.[iv] According to the CIA, 70% of Nigeria’s population lives below the poverty line.[v] The environmental impacts of oil and gas extraction disproportionately affect children and individuals living below the poverty line.[vi] Consequentially, the majority of Nigerians who live in poor economic and health conditions will have their living conditions worsened by the environmental issues the pipeline will cause.
Infrastructural issues with pipelines have been a continuous issue for African pipelines and have caused thousands of deaths.[vii] Nigeria has had ongoing issues of oil exploitation, leakage and pollution that have occurred due to insufficient maintenance and surveillance issues.[viii] In October 2018, over 50 people were killed in a pipeline explosion in Aba, Nigeria. The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) stated that the incident was most likely caused by individuals attempting to hack the pipeline in order to intercept the flow of oil.[ix] Nigeria has over 5, 0001km of oil pipelines which have exposed the country to severe threats of pollution and provoked citizens to attempt to steal oil by rupturing the lines. Past cases of pipeline explosions, caused both naturally and by oil thieves, display Nigeria as one of the most environmentally fragile regions in the world. Oil and gas companies have also contributed to pipeline explosions through inadequate safety regulations, poor maintenance, and corrosion.[x] Deliberate ruptures by oil thieves is the main cause of pipeline explosions in Nigeria; this is a continuing issue due to the Nigerian government granting amnesty to most saboteurs in the Niger Delta in exchange for the surrender of their weapons. Thus the negligence of responsibility has led to the continuation of pipeline ruptures and explosions. The mass amounts of pipeline explosions have led to severe environmental ruin, and soil, air and water pollution, which have caused ecological instability and deaths of people, plants and animals.[xi]
Increased accountability and corporate social responsibility are critical for the prosperity of the NMGP. Morocco is determined to become the leader for renewable energy in Africa by 2020; the government introduced the continent’s largest wind farm in 2014.[xii] With a further emphasis on sustainable energy, Morocco can alleviate some of the environmental concern being pushed on them by citizens and outside actors. In 2013, less than 50% of Nigerians had access to electricity, which is relatively low compared to other neighbouring countries. In order to mitigate the community risks faced due to environmental concern, the construction of the NMGP can lessen electricity deficiencies in Nigeria. Gas plants have been a major source for power generation in Nigeria and as such, have been a reason for the increase of natural gas plants in the country.[xiii] The negative consequences of the consumption of fossil fuels can thus, to some degree, be mitigated by the ways in which the pipeline can positively contribute to the prosperity of the population.
Effective oversight and safety measures are required in order to mitigate risks associated with ruptures and explosions. Past attempts to ameliorate safety measures have been minimal in effectiveness.[xiv] Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as well as both country’s governments need to work with environmental groups to ensure appropriate steps are taken for security measures and control over pipeline safety to lessen the risk of ruptures. The portion of the pipeline that has already been constructed (the West African Gas Pipeline) was done after the effected populations rejected the environmental impact study.[xv] This has been a constant issue with pipelines being built in Nigeria. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process in which pipeline projects must, according to law, provide assessments and reports on potential impacts on the environment and quality of life of the population.[xvi] Nigeria’s EIAs have historically been unfulfilling, particularly in public participation.[xvii] Both governments and the OHHYM and NNPC should work towards improving their EIAs and encouraging dialogue with the populations being affected.
[i] “Marrakech Climate Change Conference—November 2018,” United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2018, https://unfccc.int/marrakech-climate-change-conference-november-2016.
[ii] Sara Haddou Amar, “Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline: Smart Move for Economy or an Environmental Disaster,” EcoMENA, July 30, 2018, https://www.ecomena.org/morocco-nigeria-gas-pipeline/.
[iii] Babalwa Bungane, “Global organisations oppose Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline,
March 27, 2018, https://www.esi-africa.com/various-global-organisations-oppose-nigeria-morocco-gas-pipeline/.
[iv] Amar, “Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline,” 2018.
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[v] “The World Factbook: Population Below Poverty Line,” Central Intelligence Agency, 2018, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2046.html.
[vi] Frederica Perera, “Pollution from Fossil-Fuel Combustion is the Leading Environmental Threat to Global Pediatric Health and Equity: Solutions Exist,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, 16 (2018): 1.
[vii] Sahara Reporters, “Nigeria: A Nation in search of Pipeline Safety Regulations,” Sahara Reporters, February 6, 2010, http://saharareporters.com/2010/02/06/nigeria-nation-search-pipeline-safety-regulations.
[viii] B. Anifowose, D. M. Lawler, D. van der Horst and L. Chapman, “A systematic quality assessment of Environmental Impact Statements in the oil and gas industry,” Science of the Total Environment 575, (2016): 571.
[ix] Ugochukwu Alaribe, “Pipeline explosion: 50 burnt to death in Aba,” Vanguard News, October 13, 2018, https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/pipeline-explosion-50-burnt-to-death-in-aba/.
[x] T. B. Adedoja, K. A. Adepoju, O. S. Adedoja and A. T. Alaga, “Analysis and Distribution of Pipeline Explosion Disaster in Nigeria (1998-2016),” International Journal of Trend in Research and Development 3, 6 (2016): 430.
[xi] E. O. Omodanisi, A. O. Eludoyin and A. T. Salami, “Ecological effects and perceptions of victims of pipeline explosion in a developing country,” International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, (2015): 1636.
[xii] “Green technologies a focus of innovation in Morocco,” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2016, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/green_technologies_a_focus_of_innovation_in_morocco/.
[xiii] Nnaemeka V. Emodi and Samson D. Yusuf, “Improving Electricity Access in Nigeria: Obstacles and the Way Forward,” International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy 5, 1 (2015): 337.
[xiv] Tife Owolabi, “Three killed in oil pipeline explosion in Nigeria’s delta: environment group,” Reuters, March 29, 2016, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-oil/three-killed-in-oil-pipeline-explosion-in-nigerias-delta-environment-group-idUSKCN0WV1HR.
[xv] Amar, “Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline,” 2018.
[xvi] Akeem M. Lawal, Stefan Bouzarovski and Julian Clark, “Public participation in EIA: the case of West African Gas Pipeline and Tank Farm projects in Nigeria,” Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal 31, 3 (2013): 226.
[xvii] Lawal, Bouzarovski and Clark, “Public participation in EIA,” 229.
