Nigerian Firm Insight Dynamic Resources Partners with Ethiopia on Pan-African Gas-By-Rail Network
In order to industrialize, Africa will need energy, and a lot of it at cheap costs. Based on this premise, Ethiopia has come up with a grand vision for a pan-African Gas-By-Rail Economic Corridor Initiative (GBR-ECI). It is estimated that the project would cost at least half a trillion dollars.
In a nutshell, the GBR-ECI entails a 73,500-kilometer rail network that will deliver liquefied natural gas (#LNG) to 40 countries across Africa. Annually, the rail network is projected to transport 100 million tonnes of fuel to produce 270 GW of baseload power. As for the timeline, the year 2050 was mentioned as a possible completion date. The aim is to deliver affordable, cleaner energy to Africa in a bid to drive its #industrialization, enhance #ElectricityAccess, and ensure energy security.
“Africa cannot industrialize on charcoal and firewood. We are burning our future to survive today.Gas-By-Rail delivers energy where pipelines cannot reach.”
Insight Dynamic Resources Chair Musa Ibrahim
Some people call it a ‘virtual pipeline’, while others prefer ‘The Iron River of Energy’ to describe the gargantuan project. It is undeniable that to realize this vision will require no less than a Herculean effort.
During the launch ceremony in Addis on 8 December 2025, Nigeria’s Insight Dynamic Resources and the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport signed an agreement to cooperate on the Gas-By-Rail mega project. Musa Ibrahim Kuchi of Insight Dynamic Resources, the promoter of the Initiative, stated that several firms have already joined the consortium, including US train maker Wabtec, Germany’s Siemens Mobility, and SMS Group, a leader in Green Steel.
The Project is anchored by the Ethio Cluster industrial zone, with Ethiopia eventually hosting the coordination center. By 2030, the Cluster aims to produce Green Hydrogen (#GH2) and 5 million tonnes of Green Steel annually.
It is estimated that Africa will need investments of up to USD 30 trillion to realize its industrialization ambitions. Germany’s rise as a manufacturing hub was made possible, in great part, thanks to the cheap natural gas supplied by Russia. Therefore, Ethiopia believes that Africa has enough natural gas resources in the Gulf of Guinea and the Mozambique Channel to power its future.
Ethiopia plans to organize a dedicated forum during the next AU Summit at the start of 2026. The Initiative aligns with the AU’s #Agenda2063, as it combines the goals of implementing the pan-African rail network and advancing Africa’s industrialization.