By Frontline Reporters

Nigeria is targeting a major expansion of its natural gas production, with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) projecting that the country could supply up to 70 per cent of Africa’s gas demand by significantly increasing output from its vast reserves.

The NUPRC Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this during a panel session at the 2026 Gastech Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, where she said Nigeria was positioning natural gas as a strategic resource for domestic energy supply, exports and the financing of its energy transition.

Eyesan said Nigeria currently produces about 8 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas per day from estimated reserves of 215 trillion cubic feet (TCF), describing the level of production as significantly below the country’s resource potential.

“By doubling our production, tripling our production, we can be meeting at least 70 per cent of Africa’s demand,” she said.

According to her, expanding production would enable Nigeria to meet growing domestic demand while strengthening its position as a major gas supplier to other African countries. She, however, identified increased investment, commercially viable gas pricing and expanded infrastructure as critical to unlocking the sector’s potential.

Eyesan said the Federal Government had introduced incentives aimed at attracting fresh investment into the industry, while the NUPRC had continued to make oil and gas assets available through licensing rounds.

She disclosed that the Commission would commence its 2026 licensing round next month, following previous rounds held in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The NUPRC chief said the most recent licensing exercise generated considerable investor interest, with 37 of the 50 assets offered taken up.

“Today, we are trying to attract investments into the gas space,” she said, stressing the importance of resolving challenges surrounding domestic gas pricing to create a commercially sustainable market for both producers and consumers.

On infrastructure, Eyesan said increased government investment in recent years was gradually unlocking the country’s gas potential by expanding facilities required to transport gas to domestic and regional markets.

She further advocated the extension of gas infrastructure across West Africa, arguing that greater access to natural gas could help address energy poverty and facilitate a transition from biomass and other high-polluting fuels to lower-carbon energy sources.

“Gas definitely is a transition, not just for Nigeria, but for Africa, for the continent at large,” she said.

NUPRC Rejects One-Size-Fits-All Net-Zero Pathway

Eyesan also rejected calls for a uniform pathway to net-zero emissions across Africa, arguing that the continent’s countries differ substantially in their natural-resource endowments, economic circumstances and development priorities.

She maintained that Africa’s energy transition should take account of the continent’s development needs and the imperative to expand access to reliable and affordable energy.

Meanwhile, concerns have continued to emerge over whether the economic gains expected from Nigeria’s energy reforms and expanding gas industry are translating sufficiently into improved living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has stressed the importance of ensuring that economic growth and reforms ultimately translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.

For Nigeria, the challenge therefore extends beyond increasing gas production and exports. It also involves building the infrastructure, investment framework and domestic market required to convert the country’s enormous gas resources into reliable energy, industrial growth, jobs and broader economic prosperity.