KEY POINTS
- The federal government has inaugurated steering and technical committees to set up the National Gas Infrastructure Command Centre, led by Minister Ekpo.
- The NGCC will be a digital, PPP-based platform for transparency, coordination, and efficient gas infrastructure management.
- The project aims to boost gas production to 12 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2030, create jobs, and attract investors without federal funding.
The federal government has inaugurated a steering committee and a joint technical working group to oversee the establishment of the National Gas Infrastructure Command Centre, NGCC,in Abuja. The initiative is designed to improve transparency, coordination, and operational efficiency across Nigeria’s gas value chain.
The steering committee is chaired by Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), with Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, as alternate chair. Other members include representatives from the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), NNPC Limited, and Engineering Automation Technology Limited (EATL).
The joint technical working group, led technically and financially by EATL, includes representatives from the Ministry’s gas and legal departments, NMDPRA, NNPC, Gas Aggregator Company Nigeria Limited, and the decade of gas secretariat.
The NGCC will serve as a centralized digital platform, providing real-time oversight of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure under a private-sector-led Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The project, backed by President Bola Tinubu and enabled by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, will not require any financial contribution from the federal government.
The platform is expected to unlock greater value from Nigeria’s gas reserves, support the presidential directive to grow natural gas production to 12 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2030, and provide regulatory visibility to strengthen investor confidence.
Officials Highlight Strategic Role and Benefits
Minister Ekpo described the NGCC as essential for Nigeria’s gas-to-power ambitions and the broader industrialization agenda under the decade of gas initiative. The steering committee will provide strategic direction, ensure policy alignment, promote inter-agency collaboration, and oversee the phased implementation of the project.
The joint technical working group will design the technical framework, including system architecture, data standards, operational protocols, and risk management strategies for an integrated national command system.
Patience Oyekunle described the NGCC as a national asset that will enhance automation and coordination across Nigeria’s gas infrastructure. The project is also expected to create jobs and promote growth in the gas sector.
Olalekan Ogunleye, Executive Vice-President of Gas, Power, and New Energy at NNPC, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to work with investors, including EATL, to advance federal government objectives for the gas industry.
The NGCC is expected to ensure real-time monitoring and oversight of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure, support the nation’s goal of increasing gas production, and strengthen investor confidence while generating employment.
