Ubong: Power supply key to Nigeria’s Gas production target
The linkage between policy and execution was a key issue at the 2026 Nigeria international Energy Summit, with Mr. Ed Ubong, Co-ordinating Director, Decade of Gas, commending the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Gas Master Plan alignment with the country’s Decade of Gas energy ambitions.
Ubong highlighted the need to link policy and execution across the value chain, involving various stakeholders and scenarios. “NNPCL plays a key role in delivering the Decade of gas aspiration and has broken this down clearly in its NNPCL Gas masterplan 2026″ he said.
Speaking as a Panellist at the ongoing 9th NIES 2026, Ubong reiterated the importance of power supply to the actualization of this goal, citing the need to improve electricity and gas for cooking.
He noted that it is typical for gas producing fields to deplete after years of production making it imperative to invest to arrest the decline and provide even more investment to grow and meet the 12bcfd 2030 target.
” To actually grow gas production it means you have to arrest decline and add new projects. So quite a challenging target to keep that upward trajectory going on.
So on supply, we are fully aligned on what needs to be done .
Around demand, there’s a lot of work going on. I would say we’re maybe 95% there and would close the actions needed with the NMDPRA who hold the National demand database in line with the PIA”.
Critical infrastructure projects, such as the OB3 pipeline crossing, are critical to increasing Nigeria’s domestic gas consumption by 15-20%. Ubong expressed confidence that the project would be completed by the NNPCL team in 2026.There are 16 ongong and new pipeline projects which need to be completed in line with the NNPCL GMP hub concept for increased domestic gas consumption.
The session also discussed pricing, with the Industry, NUPRC and NMDPRA working on a ” no surprises” price discovery mechanism to ensure transparency and alignment. “Gas pricing across the value chain must remain affordable for Nigerians while also being at a level that supports new investments”
“At the Decade of Gas Secretariat, all stakeholders led by NUPRC and NMDPRA are doing what we call a price discovery discussion where we’re trying to build cost, bottoms up from the operators and consumers, so that by the time the new ACE is announcing the domestic base price on the 1st of April, there shouldn’t be a big surprise from what the operators and consumers expect. But again, it’s NMDPRA and NUPRC that own that confidential piece of work.
There is really no talking of success during the Decade of gas if there is no improved electricity and improved gas for cooking”.
The importance of power supply to the gas industry was underscored, with the need to address power supply value chain issues and improve LPG consumption.
He revealed that government has approved various financing mechanism to support upstream producers, allowing them to offset gas supply debts via royalty payments as announced by the Minister of State Petroleum Resources ,His Excellency Ekperikpe Ekpo. This will be supplemented with a bond program to further improve liquidity in the power value chain as advised by the SA Energy , Minister of Power and Minister of Finance.
Stakeholders expect significant progress in Nigeria’s energy sector, with the right policies and execution in place. Continuity, Focus and Collaboration across various sectors of Government and Private sector will be key for success.
