KEY POINTS
- NNPC Ltd says Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on leveraging gas as a bridge to clean energy and export-led growth.
- Ojulari describes Nigeria as an emerging global energy powerhouse capable of driving Africa’s development.
- NNPC has launched a new Gas Masterplan and is advancing major pipeline projects to boost access and industrialisation.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, says Nigeria’s long-term prosperity depends largely on how effectively it harnesses its vast natural gas resources, describing gas as the country’s bridge to a cleaner energy future and the backbone of export-driven growth.
Ojulari made the remarks while addressing participants at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026 held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said Nigeria is steadily evolving into an emerging global energy powerhouse with the capacity to support Africa’s development and contribute meaningfully to global energy security.
Ojulari identified what he called Africa’s energy trilemma, accessibility, affordability and sustainability – noting that despite the continent’s enormous energy resources, millions of Africans still lack access to electricity.
According to him, more than 600 million people across Africa remain without power, underscoring the urgency for a development-focused energy transition that reflects the continent’s realities.
“With over 600 million Africans still lacking electricity, the continent’s priority cannot be a copy-and-paste energy transition. It must be just, equitable and people-centred, one that lifts our people out of poverty, powers industries, supports agriculture, transforms transportation and unlocks the creativity of Africa’s youth,” he said.
Gas at the Centre of Nigeria’s Energy Strategy
Ojulari said Nigeria’s resource base, estimated at about 37 billion barrels of crude oil and 209 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, places the country in a strong position to lead Africa’s energy transformation.
He stressed that natural gas sits at the heart of NNPC Ltd’s strategy for economic growth and industrialisation.
“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. It is our bridge to a cleaner future, our engine for industrialisation, and our foundation for export-led growth,” Ojulari stated.
To expand access to gas and accelerate industrial development, the NNPC boss said the company has launched a new Gas Masterplan and is aggressively advancing key gas infrastructure projects across the country.
These include the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline, and the expansion of the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS).
“These projects are more than pipelines; they are highways for economic opportunity,” Ojulari said, noting that the infrastructure will help deliver gas to power plants, industries, and households, while also supporting Nigeria’s ambitions as a major gas exporter.
