Africa’s major pipeline projects could reshape energy access, industrial growth, and regional integration, but financial, technical, and regulatory challenges continue to slow development, according to the African Energy Chamber.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), stretching 1,400 kilometers from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to the port of Tanga in Tanzania, recently secured $5 billion in financing from African lenders and development finance institutions after years of uncertainty, the Chamber said.
By mid-2025, construction had reached roughly 60% completion, but previous funding shortfalls had threatened to slow progress. The Chamber noted that EACOP illustrates the delicate balance between potential export revenue, industrial development, and environmental and social considerations.
In West Africa, Nigeria’s Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, more than 70% complete by mid-2025, according to the Chamber, will carry gas from southern production fields to northern industrial hubs. The project faces challenges including political instability, theft, and sabotage, but is expected to deliver 3.5 billion cubic feet per day, reduce gas flaring, and support electricity generation across northern Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), a 5,660-kilometer transcontinental corridor connecting Nigeria to Morocco and potentially Europe, is advancing toward construction, the Chamber said.
While the pipeline could supply energy to millions and support regional industrial development, the Chamber highlighted that financing, coordination across multiple governments, and security risks remain major hurdles.
The African Energy Chamber added that technical complexity, regulatory delays, and investor concerns over political and security risks explain why many pipeline projects in Africa move slowly.
African Energy Week 2026, scheduled in Cape Town from October 12-16, will provide a forum for governments, financiers, and companies to address these challenges and unlock investment.
