From Adewale Sanyaolu, Houston, Texas
As the energy transition initiative advances, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has said Nigeria must align with global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards to ensure its gas projects are bankable.
The Minister stated this on Tuesday at the Oil Technology Conference (OTC) 2025 luncheon and panel session with the theme “Harnessing Nigeria’s Gas Potential for Domestic Utilisation and Global Export Market,” organised by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) in Houston, Texas.
He added that Nigeria must address its financing challenge because energy transition policies around the world are redirecting investment flows.
He explained that as Nigeria pushes forward, innovation will be the catalyst for success.
“Technological advancements, from digital oilfield solutions to low-carbon gas processing and emissions monitoring, are reshaping how we produce and deliver energy. We must embrace these innovations, invest in Research and Development, and foster collaboration between academia, startups, and established industry leaders,” he said.
He commended PETAN for consistently projecting Nigeria’s technological capabilities and creating platforms such as this to champion dialogue, partnership, and innovation in the global energy space.
He pointed out that the urgent priorities before Nigeria are to unlock the full value of our abundant natural gas resources for the prosperity of our people at home and for our competitiveness in the global energy economy.
“Nigeria today is the largest holder of proven natural gas reserves in Africa, and among the top ten globally, with over 210 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas, and even more potential with ongoing exploration activities. This resource is a gift, but it is also a responsibility — a responsibility to deploy it for sustainable national development, industrialisation, job creation, and to contribute to global energy security,” he stated.
The Minister stated that in line with the transformative agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the administration has prioritised gas as the centrepiece of Nigeria’s energy future.
“The Decade of Gas initiative remains our national framework to transform Nigeria into a major gas-powered economy, both domestically and internationally. Our approach rests on two interconnected pillars:
Expanding domestic gas utilisation: We are intensifying investments in critical infrastructure — pipelines, processing plants, and distribution networks — to ensure that gas is accessible, affordable, and reliable for power generation, manufacturing, transport, and household consumption.
Programmes such as the Nigerian Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), the rollout of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative automotive fuel, and the distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders to homes, particularly in rural areas, are pivotal to this goal. Additionally, we are removing barriers and creating incentives for small and large-scale gas-based industries, such as fertilizer plants and modular gas hubs.
Strengthening Nigeria’s position in the global gas export market: Our ongoing projects like the NLNG Train 7 Project, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project, the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline Project, the Gulf of Guinea Gas Pipeline Project, and the West African Gas Pipeline will significantly enhance our export capacity,” he said.
He assured that the government is also pursuing innovative projects like Floating LNG (FLNG) solutions, which provide flexible, scalable opportunities to monetise offshore gas resources. New regional integration projects, such as the Nigeria–Equatorial Guinea Gas Pipeline Agreement, will enable the country to commercialise stranded gas fields and supply gas to existing LNG infrastructure in Equatorial Guinea, positioning Nigeria even more strongly in global LNG markets.