… warns policy uncertainty in the country could undermine gas supply, infrastructure development
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Andrea Stegher, President of the International Gas Union (IGU), has urged the Nigerian Government to sustain investment in gas and gas infrastructure development at the right scale and pace to unlock the country’s vast natural gas potential and position Nigeria as a gas-driven powerhouse in Africa.
The IGU President made this known in a virtual presentation during his opening remarks at the Gas Investment Forum in Nigeria, on Tuesday, while speaking on the conference theme.
According to him, the Nigerian Government, regulators and industry stakeholders must work more closely to create the conditions required for long-term gas investment, particularly as African countries confront rising energy demand.
He cautioned that government policies, regardless of their intentions, should not create additional uncertainty or undermine energy security by discouraging investment in gas supply and related infrastructure.
“Government policies, however well intended, must not create further uncertainty and energy insecurity by deterring investment in gas supply and related infrastructures,” Stegher said.
The IGU President further emphasised that governments supporting gas development in countries such as Nigeria need to be “more vocal, more committed, and firm” in communicating the positive role of gas projects, including in international forums.
Stegher said Nigeria’s gas resources have the potential to transform the country into “the gas-driven powerhouse of Africa,” but stressed that this would require continued investment in gas and gas infrastructure “at the right scale and the appropriate time.”
He said investment in gas infrastructure is critical to addressing the interconnected challenges of energy security, affordability and environmental sustainability.
“The time is now to avoid risk for the overall long-term energy scenario, namely affecting energy security, energy affordability, and the environmental challenges that we need to address,” he said.
According to Stegher, these considerations form part of what is widely described as the energy trilemma, requiring policymakers and industry players to balance energy security, affordability and sustainability.
He also identified Nigeria as an example of the potential benefits of closer cooperation between government and industry in developing a long-term outlook for the gas business.
“The Nigerian gas industry serves a growing domestic population while also serving as a reliable exporting energy partner for many countries around the world,” he said.
Stegher said Nigeria is demonstrating that it is possible to adapt to changing market conditions through technical expertise, innovation and operational efficiency.
“Nigeria is also a country proving that it is perfectly possible to adapt to new challenges and market dynamics, with a clear and strong backing from industry experts’ knowledge and a closer pursuit for innovation and operational efficiency,” he said.
He noted that technological development across the gas industry is expanding beyond conventional natural gas systems to include digitalisation, artificial intelligence, emissions-reduction technologies, biomethane, hydrogen, e-methane and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
However, he cautioned against viewing emerging energy technologies as an immediate substitute for natural gas, stressing that new solutions would require time and sustained investment.
“New solutions will require time and solid continued investment,” Stegher said, adding that such solutions “will not substitute but integrate the role of natural gas in the foreseeable future.”
The IGU President also pointed to Africa’s growing energy needs, arguing that the continent’s available gas resources represent an important opportunity to expand energy access while addressing the need for lower-carbon energy.
He referenced the IGU’s Gas for Africa reports published in 2023 and 2025, saying they provide a factual assessment of the continent’s potential to develop its existing gas resources to meet rising energy needs.
“If we are serious about meeting this increased energy demand with a lower carbon intensity, gas becomes truly essential for the foreseeable long-term future,” Stegher said.
He said the growing demand for energy globally means that gas-producing countries such as Nigeria have an important role to play in meeting both domestic and international energy requirements.
Stegher stressed that Africa’s gas opportunity should be approached through investment, infrastructure development, technical capacity and stronger cooperation between governments and industry.
For Nigeria, his intervention places the emphasis not only on the size of the country’s gas resources, but on the investment and infrastructure required to convert those resources into greater domestic energy supply, export capacity and broader economic value.
