Strong Collaboration Key To Unlocking Africa’s Gas Resources- Ekpo

The Minister of Petroleum Resources (Gas), Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has urged governments, private sector players, financiers, and international partners to collaborate in mobilizing resources, deploying technologies, and developing innovative financing models to unlock Africa’s vast gas resources.

Ekpo said this would accelerate sustainable development while also advancing the continent’s energy transition goals.

?Ekpo stated this in his address at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) workshop titled “Natural Gas for Africa’s Sustainable Development” on the sidelines of the Africa Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa.

While noting that Africa is rich in natural resources, including large natural gas reserves, Ekpo said however, that over 600 million Africans lack electricity and nearly one billion lack access to clean cooking solutions, constituting a development emergency that constrains education, healthcare, and industrialization.

?According to him, if Africa is to achieve the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs), it must urgently deploy natural gas as a catalyst for inclusive growth and prosperity.

?He highlighted the unique value of natural gas for Africa’s sustainable development, citing its potential to expand energy access by powering homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses; drive industrialization through fertilizer, petrochemicals, cement, and steel production; enable clean cooking, reducing reliance on biomass and improving public health outcomes; and support the energy transition by complementing renewables, providing baseload stability, and reducing emissions compared to coal and oil.

?Ekpo insisted that for Africa, natural gas is not simply a transition fuel but both a bridge and a destination fuel, essential to building resilient economies and societies.

“In Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has placed gas at the center of the economic transformation agenda through the Decade of Gas initiative, aiming to leverage over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves to deliver prosperity for Nigerians, strengthen regional energy security, and contribute to global stability”, he said.

?Ekpo highlighted steps taken to harness Nigeria’s gas resources for sustainable development to include  expanding gas-to-power projects, promoting clean cooking through the LPG penetration programme targeting five million homes by 2030, and rolling out Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce dependence on petrol and diesel.

?He noted that strategic infrastructure projects, including the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) and OB3 pipelines, and the Nigeria LNG Train 7 project, are progressing to open up domestic and regional markets and position Nigeria as a reliable global supplier of LNG.

?Ekpo further stated that the country is promoting regional integration through projects like the West African Gas Pipeline and the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, and exploring new opportunities with Libya.

He said through the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and the Presidential Executive Orders on Oil and Gas Reforms, Nigeria has created transparent, investor-friendly frameworks to attract capital into the gas sector.

?”Africa’s development must be powered by Africa’s resources, driven by Africa’s priorities, and supported through Africa-led partnerships,”

?”Natural gas is central to this vision; it is the fuel that can light homes, power industries, secure livelihoods, and safeguard our future. Nigeria stands ready to share experiences, deepen cooperation, and work with all of you towards an energy-secure, industrialized, and prosperous Africa”, the minister stated.