Nigeria must lead Africa’s gas-driven energy transition, says NNPC GCEO
Nigeria must harness its vast natural gas resources to drive Africa’s economic growth and contribute to global stability, Bayo Ojulari, group chief executive officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, has said.
Ojulari spoke on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja, where he described Nigeria as an emerging global energy powerhouse.
“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,” he said.
According to him, gas represents a bridge to a cleaner energy future, a catalyst for industrialisation, and a foundation for export-led economic growth.
Ojulari highlighted what he described as Africa’s energy trilemma, noting that despite the continent’s abundant energy resources, it continues to grapple with challenges of access, affordability, and sustainability.
He noted that Nigeria, with an estimated 37 billion barrels of crude oil and 209 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, is well positioned to lead efforts to change Africa’s energy narrative.
The NNPC chief stressed that with more than 600 million Africans still without access to electricity, the continent’s energy transition must be just, equitable, and people-centred, focusing on poverty reduction, industrial growth, agricultural support, and job creation for young people.
Ojulari added that NNPC is expanding access to gas through a new gas master plan and major infrastructure projects, including the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3), Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipelines, and the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) expansion, which he said would unlock economic opportunities across the country.
