Nigeria poised to harness gas resources for Africa’s economic surge — NNPC

Abdullateef Fowewe

NNPC Ltd’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari has claimed that Nigeria is positioning itself as a global energy powerhouse by leveraging its vast gas reserves to drive Africa’s development and global stability.

This was obtained in a statement, signed on Tuesday by NNPC Ltd’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer Andy Odeh.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026 at the Presidential Villa’s Banquet Hall, Ojulari emphasised gas as central to Nigeria’s strategy.

“Nigeria’s pathway to a prosperous future lies in our collective ability to leverage our resource abundance, especially as gas sits at the heart of our strategy. It is our bridge to a cleaner future, our engine for industrialization, and our foundation for export-led growth,” he stated.

Ojulari highlighted Africa’s “energy trilemma” — accessibility, affordability, and sustainability — noting that over 600 million Africans lack electricity despite the continent’s rich resources.

With Nigeria’s 37 billion barrels of crude oil and 209 trillion cubic feet of gas, he affirmed NNPC Ltd’s readiness to lead.

“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-centered energy transition, one that lifts our people out of poverty, powers industries, supports agriculture, transforms transportation, and unleashes the creativity of Africa’s youth,” Ojulari noted.

He positioned NNPC Ltd beyond a commercial entity, calling it a “peace and prosperity enabler.”

Key initiatives include the new Gas Masterplan and major infrastructure like the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3), Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipelines, and Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) expansion.

“These projects are more than pipelines, they are highways for economic opportunity,” he explained.