Energy Powering Africa’s Future: Nigeria’s gas ambition , the drive for a Continental Energy Market
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Nigeria’s push to transform its vast natural gas reserves into a cornerstone of economic growth and regional energy security took centre stage in Abuja, as policymakers, regulators, financiers, and industry leaders gathered for the Decade of Gas and World Bank Ministerial Roundtable and workshop.
Set against the backdrop of rising energy demand, widespread electricity deficits across Africa, and the global shift toward cleaner fuels, the high-level engagement underscored a shared urgency: the need to move from potential to performance. From Nigeria’s improving production figures to bold ambitions for a fully integrated African gas market, stakeholders converged on one central theme—Africa’s energy future depends on collaboration, investment, and decisive execution.
Nigeria’s Gas Story: From Policy to Progress.
At the heart of the conversation was the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Mr. Ed Ubong, who provided a detailed account of Nigeria’s progress since the launch of the Decade of Gas initiative.
He revealed that Nigeria’s gas production has increased from approximately 6.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2023 to 7.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, a growth he attributed to strengthened collaboration among government institutions, regulators, investors, and private sector players.
Beyond current gains, Ubong laid out an ambitious roadmap.
Nigeria, he said, is targeting 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030, positioning gas as a central pillar of the nation’s energy mix and a driver of industrialisation, economic diversification, and energy security.
Tracing the origins of this strategy, he recalled the Federal Government’s declaration of 2021 to 2030 as the “Decade of Gas,” marking a decisive shift toward gas as a catalyst for national development. The establishment of a dedicated Secretariat in 2023 has since provided a structured platform to coordinate implementation.
According to Ubong, the initiative is focused on unlocking Nigeria’s vast reserves, stimulating demand through credible off-takers, expanding infrastructure, ensuring competitive pricing, and building human capacity across the value chain.
To improve coordination and delivery, he disclosed that over 215 gas demand projects are currently being tracked within a centralised database, while accountability mechanisms have been strengthened to monitor stakeholder performance.
“We continue to ask a critical question across the ecosystem—what support is required to move projects forward and unlock value for Nigeria?” he said.
The World Bank’s Stake: Financing Access, Driving Integration.
The presence of the World Bank and other development partners highlighted the global significance of Africa’s gas conversation.
Delivering opening remarks on behalf of the institution, Justin Beleoken emphasised the urgent need to address the continent’s energy access gap. Despite abundant gas reserves, millions of Africans still lack reliable electricity, with countries such as Benin and Togo facing persistent supply constraints that affect power generation and economic stability.
He noted that increasing global competition for gas resources makes regional coordination even more critical.
For the World Bank, he explained, the discussions align with its Mission 300 initiative, which aims to expand electricity access to over 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
Achieving this goal, he stressed, requires more than financing—it demands integrated markets, coordinated policies, and strong partnerships across the gas-to-power value chain.
“The workshop provides a platform to bring together perspectives, identify constraints, and develop actionable solutions that can improve reliability and coordination across the region,” he said.
The Bank, he added, remains committed to supporting these efforts through financing, guarantees, and advisory services, working closely with governments and the private sector.
Ministerial Push: Ekpo Calls for Collective Action.
Providing policy direction, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, delivered a compelling argument for deeper regional cooperation.
He highlighted a stark paradox: Africa holds over 600 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, yet more than 600 million people remain without electricity, while millions still rely on traditional fuels such as firewood and charcoal.
“This is not a question of resource availability, but one of coordination, infrastructure, and collective action,” he said.
Ekpo described natural gas as Africa’s “transition fuel”—a critical pathway to industrialisation, energy access, and economic resilience. However, he emphasised that no single country can unlock this potential alone.
He pointed to existing cross-border projects—including the West African Gas Pipeline, Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline, Nigeria–Equatorial Guinea Gas Pipeline, and the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline—as evidence of what collaboration can achieve.
To accelerate progress, the minister outlined four key priorities:
Development of integrated regional gas markets,
Expansion of gas-to-power and clean cooking initiatives, Adoption of innovative, climate-aligned financing models, and
Harmonisation of regulatory frameworks across countries.
He urged stakeholders to move beyond discussions and deliver tangible outcomes, including bankable projects and clear implementation mechanisms.
“The future of Africa’s energy lies not in isolated pipelines, but in connected systems, shared markets, and collective ambition,” Ekpo stated.
NUPRC’s Perspective: From Policy to Implementation:-
From the regulatory front, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) underscored the importance of execution and investment-friendly policies.
The Commission Chief Executive described the current global energy landscape as one defined by transformation—driven by geopolitics, technological change, and climate considerations—where energy has become central to economic resilience.
Within this context, she said, natural gas plays a strategic role not just as a fuel, but as a foundation for industrialisation, power stability, and a cleaner energy transition.
She stressed that Nigeria is shifting from resource control to resource optimisation, with a focus on accelerating gas commercialisation and achieving “speed to first gas.”
Key priorities for the Commission include:
Accelerating infrastructure development,
Expanding access to regional markets
Strengthening regulatory frameworks to attract long-term investment.
“The Decade of Gas must move beyond policy into implementation—transforming plans into measurable outcomes,” she noted.
Bridging the Infrastructure Gap.
A major highlight of the discussions was the scale of infrastructure required to unlock Africa’s gas potential. Ubong disclosed that Nigeria has identified 16 critical pipeline projects requiring an estimated $22 billion in investment, emphasising the need for strong public-private partnerships.
He also pointed to the importance of bidirectional pipelines, which would enhance flexibility and allow gas to flow efficiently across borders.
Projects such as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline were highlighted as transformative, with the potential to connect regional markets and support a more integrated energy system.
Gas for Development: Powering Industries and Homes.
Beyond infrastructure, stakeholders emphasised the direct impact of gas on economic development and everyday life. Ubong identified gas-to-power as a key priority for improving electricity supply, while also highlighting plans to expand domestic use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a cleaner alternative to firewood and charcoal.
Nigeria aims to increase LPG consumption from 1.8 million tonnes per annum to 3 million tonnes by 2030, supported by the distribution of over five million gas cylinders nationwide.
This approach, he noted, will not only enhance energy access but also improve public health and environmental sustainability.
Toward a Regional Gas Ecosystem.
Looking beyond national borders, the discussions consistently returned to the need for a coordinated regional approach.
Ubong stressed that Nigeria is positioning itself as a catalyst for a West African gas ecosystem, but achieving this vision will require alignment among countries on supply strategies, demand projections, and infrastructure development.
Regulators and development partners echoed this sentiment, calling for harmonised policies, integrated markets, and innovative financing mechanisms to drive large-scale projects.
A Defining Moment for Africa’s Energy Future:-
As the Abuja roundtable concluded, a clear consensus emerged: Africa has the resources and the opportunity to transform its energy landscape—but success will depend on collective action.
From Nigeria’s rising production figures and ambitious targets to the World Bank’s financing commitments, from ministerial calls for integration to regulatory emphasis on execution, the building blocks of a new energy future are taking shape.
What remains is the ability to sustain momentum and translate vision into results.
As Ubong aptly summarised, the continent’s progress will hinge on “our ability to work together across borders, institutions, and value chains to achieve shared prosperity.”
For Nigeria and Africa at large, the Decade of Gas is no longer just a policy, it is a test of delivery.
At the around Table in Abuja, that future felt closer than ever; but the real work, as all agreed, begins now.
