Algeria, Nigeria, Niger launch Trans-Saharan pipeline

Three African nations have formally launched construction on a major section of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, marking a significant step forward for the long-delayed, multi-billion dollar energy project. Officials from Algeria, Nigeria, and Niger presided over a ceremony in Algeria’s Adrar region on Thursday to inaugurate work on the Algerian section of the pipeline.

The 4,000-kilometer pipeline is designed to transport between 20 and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria, where it would connect to existing infrastructure for delivery to international markets, including Europe. The project, first proposed decades ago and formally announced in 2009, has been stalled by security concerns in the Sahel region, financing challenges, and shifting regional politics.

The launch follows a meeting of the project’s steering committee, which approved a final feasibility study and endorsed its recommendations. In a statement, officials said the project embodies the common political will of the three nations. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, described it as a strategic investment capable of transforming...