Nigeria bets big as natural gas powerhouse, investment 

Mkpoikana Udoma

Port Harcourt — Nigeria took centre stage at the Africa Energy Week in Cape Town, as Mr. Declan Nwokoro, Managing Director of NNPC Gas Marketing Ltd, NGML, declared Nigeria’s natural gas sector as a key driver of Africa’s energy transition and a major opportunity for sustainable investment.

Speaking as a panelist during the session titled “Accelerating Natural Gas Development and Investment Opportunities in Nigeria,” Nwokoro reinforced the country’s strategic ambition to lead the continent’s shift toward lower-carbon fuels, supported by vast reserves, enabling policies, and expanding infrastructure.

“Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves, coupled with government-backed incentives and investor-friendly policies, provide a unique platform to deliver economic growth, industrialization, and improved energy access,” he said.

The session brought together policymakers, operators, and financiers to explore how Africa’s largest gas producer can accelerate infrastructure rollout, unlock capital, and extend regional gas access to power industries and communities across the continent.

Nwokoro emphasized NNPC Ltd’s pivotal role in actualizing Nigeria’s gas ambitions, from expanding domestic gas penetration to scaling up LNG exports and attracting international partnerships.

“NNPC Ltd continues to position Nigeria as a natural gas powerhouse and a strategic leader in Africa’s quest for a sustainable energy future,” he told the audience.

His comments come amid growing momentum behind Nigeria’s Decade of Gas initiative, which prioritizes gas as a transition fuel and central pillar of economic diversification, job creation, and energy security.

Industry stakeholders at AEW 2025 have pointed to Nigeria’s increasing clarity on regulatory reforms and commercially viable gas projects, including major pipeline expansions and domestic gas distribution hubs, as strong signals for international investors.

With over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, Nigeria holds the largest reserves in Africa and the ninth largest globally. Yet, underinvestment and infrastructure constraints have limited its full exploitation, a challenge which the NNPC Ltd seeks to aggressively reverse.

Nwokoro’s remarks underscore the country’s growing confidence that natural gas can serve as both a domestic development engine and a regional export solution, particularly as African countries seek to replace diesel and heavy fuels with cleaner-burning alternatives.