Nigeria’s push to reposition natural gas as the backbone of its energy transition is gaining momentum, with production rising from 6.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2023 to 7.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2025.
The Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Ed Ubong, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, projecting that output could reach 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030 if ongoing reforms and investments are sustained.
Ubong spoke at the Decade of Gas and World Bank Ministerial Roundtable and workshop, where government officials, regulators, investors, and development partners gathered to chart pathways for scaling gas development across Nigeria and Africa.
He attributed the recent growth in production to improved collaboration across the energy value chain.
“We have seen gas production rise from about 6.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2023 to about 7.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2025. This progress is largely driven by stronger collaboration among government institutions, regulators, investors, and industry players,” he said.
Setting an ambitious outlook, Ubong added, “Nigeria has reaffirmed its ambition to significantly scale up gas production, with a target of delivering up to 12 billion cubic feet of gas per day into the market by 2030.”
He stressed that achieving this goal would depend heavily on partnerships across borders and institutions.
“Africa’s energy future depends on our ability to work together across borders, institutions, and value chains to achieve shared prosperity,” he said.
Ubong explained that the ongoing Decade of Gas initiative, which runs from 2021 to 2030, was designed to unlock Nigeria’s vast gas reserves and reposition the sector as a driver of economic growth.
According to him, a dedicated secretariat was established in 2023 to coordinate implementation, focusing on stimulating demand, expanding infrastructure, ensuring competitive pricing, and building human capacity.
“We are deliberately asking a critical question across the ecosystem: what support is required to move projects forward and unlock value for Nigeria?” he stated.
He disclosed that more than 215 gas demand projects are currently being tracked through a centralised database to improve planning and execution, adding that accountability mechanisms have also been strengthened to ensure delivery.
On key priorities, Ubong identified gas-to-power and the expansion of liquefied petroleum gas usage as central to Nigeria’s domestic energy strategy.
“Gas-to-power remains critical for improving electricity supply, while increasing LPG adoption will help replace firewood and charcoal, improving public health and environmental sustainability,” he said.
He revealed that Nigeria plans 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.
Providing further insight, Ubong said several upstream operators had taken Final Investment Decisions on major gas projects, signalling growing investor confidence.
On infrastructure, he disclosed that the country has identified 16 priority pipeline projects requiring about $22bn in funding.
“To deliver these projects, we need robust public-private partnerships and strong support from development partners, particularly the World Bank,” he said.
He added that Nigeria is positioning itself as a hub for a regional gas market, stressing that alignment on supply, demand, and infrastructure across African countries would be critical.
“We must develop pipeline systems that allow bidirectional flow to enhance flexibility and reliability across the region,” Ubong noted, citing projects such as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline as key to connecting markets.
Also speaking, the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Aliyu Mohammed , emphasised the need for deeper regional collaboration to unlock Africa’s gas potential.
“The first half of the Decade of Gas Initiative focused on identifying key enablers such as supply, demand, infrastructure, and pricing frameworks,” he said.
He added that the next phase would focus on execution and measurable outcomes.
“The second half of the initiative must be driven by increased gas production, greater investment inflows, expanded pipeline networks, and the commissioning of new processing facilities,” Mohammed stated.
Highlighting Nigeria’s strategic export ambitions, he identified three major corridors for gas supply to regional and international markets.
“These include the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline, and coastal LNG infrastructure along the Gulf of Guinea,” he said.
Mohammed stressed that unlocking these opportunities would require harmonised regulatory frameworks, credible demand data, and sustainable financing models.
“We must establish structured mechanisms for cross-border gas exports, backed by firm supply agreements and expanded gas-to-power infrastructure,” he added.
He also called on the World Bank and other partners to support efforts to bridge Nigeria’s infrastructure gap.
“We need to mobilise the estimated $22bn required to deliver critical gas infrastructure and fully unlock the sector’s potential,” he said.
Nigeria holds one of the largest gas reserves in Africa, estimated at over 200 trillion cubic feet, yet the resource remains underutilised due to infrastructure deficits, pricing challenges, and historically low domestic demand.
The Decade of Gas initiative was introduced by the Federal Government to reverse this trend by positioning gas as a transition fuel capable of driving industrialisation, improving electricity supply, and supporting cleaner energy use.
Despite recent gains, the country continues to grapple with power shortages, making gas-to-power projects a critical component of its energy strategy.
Sustained investment, policy consistency, and regional cooperation will be key to translating Nigeria’s gas ambitions into tangible economic benefits
