At What Stage Is the Ahmeyim Gas Project? And Why Has the Citizen Not Benefited from it .?!.
Press Report
Mohamed Abderrahmane Ould Abdallah
Nouakchott – Al-Ittihad
Nouakchott
The joint gas project between Mauritania and Senegal in the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) field is one of the largest energy projects in West Africa and one of the most prominent economic stakes facing the Mauritanian state during the current decade. However, the fundamental question that arises today is: At what stage is the project? And when and how will its production be reflected in the lives of citizens?
● Production Phase… But Without Direct Impact
The gas project has entered the initial production phase after years of development and massive investments led by major international companies. However, the direct returns on the national economy remain limited, due to the nature of the agreements, the high cost of investments, and the scheduling of cost recovery, which delays the realization of real revenues from the project.
According to energy sector experts, this phase is normal for giant gas projects. Nevertheless, this does not preclude holding the state accountable regarding its readiness to transform this strategic resource into a genuine driver of development.
● The Political Bet Before the Economic One
Observers believe that the impact of gas production on the lives of Mauritanian citizens does not depend solely on the size of reserves or global prices, but is fundamentally linked to political stability and the consistency of the government’s vision for the future of the project. The absence of a clear national strategy for managing natural resources may keep Mauritania in a weak partner position within the partnership framework and entrench long-term dependency on investment and financial terms described by specialists as “unfair.”
These observers also draw comparisons with what has been achieved on the other side of the Senegal River, where some indicators of local benefit have begun to appear more quickly, deepening the Mauritanian citizen’s sense of injustice in the distribution of the benefits of the joint project.
● Domestic Preparation Is a شرط for Benefiting
Despite the delay in net revenues, analysts emphasize that this delay does not justify government complacency in preparing the necessary conditions for exploiting and exporting gas effectively. This mainly includes:
- Improving the investment climate to enable national companies to play a real role in services related to the sector;
- Supporting judicial independence as the true guarantor of transparency and protection of public funds;
- Linking revenues from natural resources to tangible social and economic projects that benefit vulnerable groups.
● Corruption… The Biggest Obstacle
Corruption remains, according to observers of public affairs, the most significant obstacle to any genuine reliance on the gas project. The absence of accountability and the continuation of blatant enrichment by a limited number of individuals deepen the trust gap between citizens and the state, and empty the discourse on “shared prosperity” of its meaning.
Experts warn that the continuation of this situation could turn gas into merely a new single-source rent, recycled through real estate speculation and money laundering, instead of being a tool for economic takeoff and sustainable development.
● Between Hope and Caution
In conclusion, the Ahmeyim project represents a historic opportunity for Mauritania, but transforming it into a real national gain remains contingent upon deep political and institutional reforms, and a clear will to block corruption and place the citizen at the heart of public policies.
Without this, gas will remain a postponed dream—a wealth extracted from beneath the ground without significantly changing the reality of those who live above it.
