فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 82, closing an important chapter in the political and economic history of Nigeria and the African continent. Throughout his political and military career, Buhari was one of Africa’s foremost leaders who sought to forge strategic partnerships based on realism, openness, and South-South cooperation. Among his most notable collaborations was his close partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco, particularly through the ambitious Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project.
This landmark project was signed in 2016 during King Mohammed VI’s visit to Abuja and marked a pivotal moment in bilateral relations. It was not merely an economic agreement but a step with significant geopolitical and developmental dimensions, embodying a shared vision between two leaders who understood that Africa cannot wait for external saviors but must build its own foundations through partnerships that enhance its energy security and connect its south to north, and west to east.
Buhari played a central role in this endeavor, not only lending political legitimacy to the project but also mobilizing his government apparatus to support it and creating the necessary diplomatic and legal environment for its progress, despite the complex security and economic challenges Nigeria faced at the time.
The pipeline, planned to link Nigerian gas fields to the Atlantic coast of Morocco via several West African countries, stands as an exceptional project in terms of scale, ambition, and geopolitical stakes. It aims not only to export gas to Europe but also to foster local development within the countries it traverses by providing energy and stimulating industry and infrastructure, making it a prime regional economic driver. Buhari was a staunch advocate of the project, defending it before Nigeria’s traditional partners and viewing it as a cornerstone for building African energy independence based on solidarity and mutual benefit.
Buhari’s relationship with Morocco was not a mere transactional alliance but one marked by mutual respect, especially towards King Mohammed VI’s initiatives to reposition Morocco within Africa through joint investments, defending continental causes, and engaging in tangible projects with direct impact. Buhari warmly received the Moroccan monarch in 2016 and was among the first African leaders to support Morocco’s return to the African Union, paving the way for strong cooperation between two major countries in West and North Africa.
With Buhari’s passing, Nigeria, Morocco, and Africa at large have lost a passionate defender of independent and ambitious African partnerships and continental projects whose impact will resonate for generations. Yet, his legacy endures through this strategic project that continues to advance, bearing his imprint alongside that of the Moroccan monarch, exemplifying what visionary leadership can achieve when shared goals prioritize the welfare of the people.
