Speaking at the opening of the Nigeria International Energy Summit 2026 in Abuja, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said Nigeria has both the responsibility and capacity to use its gas resources to support Africa’s economic rise while contributing to global energy stability.
Ojulari described natural gas as central to Nigeria’s long-term economic strategy, noting that it serves as both a cleaner transition fuel and a driver of industrial expansion.
“Gas sits at the heart of our strategy. It is our bridge to a cleaner future, our engine for industrialisation, and our foundation for export-led growth,” he said.
According to Ojulari, Africa’s energy transition must be tailored to its development realities rather than mirror pathways taken by advanced economies.
“With over 600 million Africans still lacking electricity, the continent’s priority cannot be a copy and paste. Ours must be a just, equitable, people-centred energy transition that lifts people out of poverty and powers industries,” he said.
Nigeria, he added, is well placed to lead this effort, with proven reserves of about 37 billion barrels of crude oil and 209 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Ojulari said NNPC Ltd sees its role as extending beyond commercial returns to supporting economic stability and prosperity across the region.
As part of efforts to scale domestic gas utilisation, NNPC Ltd has rolled out a new Gas Masterplan and is advancing major infrastructure projects, including the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben pipeline, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, and the expansion of the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System.
“These projects are more than pipelines. They are highways for economic opportunity,” Ojulari said.
The renewed push underscores Nigeria’s ambition to anchor Africa’s industrial growth on reliable and affordable energy, with gas positioned as the backbone of that transformation.
