Algeria and Niger have formally reset strained bilateral relations and announced the operational relaunch of the long-delayed Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project, signaling a significant geopolitical and energy shift across North and West Africa. The diplomatic thaw was accompanied by a concrete economic announcement: construction of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, often referred to as TSGP, will begin shortly after Ramadan, which concludes in mid-March. A Strategic Energy Corridor RevivedThe Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline is a proposed 4,000-kilometer infrastructure project designed to transport natural gas from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria, where it would connect to existing export infrastructure toward Europe. From Algeria, gas could be exported to Europe via the TransMed pipeline linking North Africa to Italy, or liquefied and shipped as LNG. Competing Pipeline VisionsThe relaunch of the Trans-Saharan project also has broader strategic implications.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 18, 2026 13:15 UTC